Taking Chances
by iceicecream
Summary: Kazehaya Miyuki had been having the biggest crush on the younger Hitachiin twin for years now. And after her awkward confession, Kaoru couldn't stop her from lingering at the back of his mind. Now, they were both in their first year of high school, by chance, partners for a project—and they would learn the difference between being told a secret and finding out yourself.
1. Chapter 1 : Notice Me

_[ disclaimer : I do not own Ouran High School Host Club! ]_

* * *

 ** _[ chapter one : notice me ]_**

"Look, Kaoru. She's there."

Kaoru stopped leaning against the window and turned his body to look. There, one floor down at the courtyard but still under the shade of the school building, was a girl. _Kazehaya Miyuki._ That was the first time he really noticed her, despite them being in the same class since middle school started.

"Yeah... You're right, Hikaru."

But he knew who she was. She was voted class representative almost every year. She was the second child of the Kazehaya family who owned the Kaze Hotels around the world. She was the one who wrote him that love letter.

And that was why the twins were making their way down the stairs then. They had always done this, whenever someone wrote a love letter to them, like it was a test or something. Neither remembered how it started but they had done it so many times, their little show was almost routine. They said the same things, the girls replied the same things, and it always ended the same way.

Maybe a little different every time, depending on the girl but the Hitachiins pretty much knew what to expect by now. So, staying out of sight, they parted ways and Hikaru went to wait behind a tree by the fountain in the courtyard while Kaoru walked towards the girl, the love letter in his pocket.

Miyuki didn't notice him at first, still smoothing out the front of her brown school skirt. She was fixing her dark almost-black hair when she finally realized his presence. A sharp intake of breath, a rush of heat to the cheeks, her heart beat faster the same way anyone's would when faced with one's crush. "H-hi," she stammered out nervously, bowing a little. The young girl wasn't used to doing something like this, confessing and all... It was her _friends_ who convinced her to do it! Her fingers fiddled with each other.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting, Miyuki," he said charmingly, not bothering with honorifics, and quickly added without waiting for a response, "I read your letter."

Miyuki took a deep breath to work up her courage. "Kaoru-kun, I—"

"I'm sorry but," Kaoru paused to pull out the letter from his pocket and then lied smoothly as they had done so many times so easily before, "I'm _Hikaru_ , actually. You must've gotten our desks mixed up and put your letter in mine." He smiled in a way one would say was gentle.

The girl looked crestfallen which quickly turned into embarrassment a moment later when she realized her mistake. She was sure she put the letter in _Kaoru's_ desk... He was the one who usually sat by the window, right? O-or maybe she _did_ get it mixed up in her flustered-ness. And it wasn't uncommon for the twins to switch seats so... She was just about to apologize for her mistake when the auburn haired boy spoke again.

"Do you think you could like _me_ instead?"

Miyuki finally looked up. The boy's face was closer to hers than she realized. It didn't faze _him_ though.

"I should confess... To be honest with you, I always thought you were really cute. Besides, Kaoru has a crush on someone else. So... what do you say?"

Surprised brown eyes blinked back at clam lighter ones. Truthfully, the fact that stood out most to her was the fact that Kaoru already liked someone else. She had no idea... It made her feel so embarrassed! But Miyuki forced herself to stay strong. Hikaru was waiting. And he had just given her a pretty sweet offer.

"No," she finally said, after a minute. The answer surprised both parties, apparently. Miyuki pulled her lips into a small smile, looking back down to her fiddling fingers. Bad habit. "I'm sorry, Hikaru-kun. Doing that would be unfair because... I still have feelings for Kaoru-kun. I'm really flattered though!" she added this last part quickly, lifting her gaze and surprising him again. Her cheeks were flushed.

Kaoru looked back at her, unsure what to say. This was _not_ part of the script. Every other girl just went with it. They would accept the idea of liking the other twin instead and then they would turn around and chide the girl for being greedy and shallow or whatever. The insult differed every time—never the response. _But there she was._ Kazehaya Miyuki, rejecting one twin for the other.

Seeing no reaction, she hurriedly continued, now playing with the end of her ponytail on her shoulder. That shy smile still graced her features. "N-no one has ever said what you said to me before so... _thank you_." She bowed lightly and started to walk away, leaving Kaoru alone and watching her back as she disappeared down the hallway and around a corner.

"Well, that was interesting," a voice mused aloud.

Kaoru turned his head to see his twin standing next to him, also watching where the girl was. Despite that nonchalant face, he could tell that Hikaru was equally baffled as he was. Even though that girl couldn't tell them apart, as evidenced by her not realizing Kaoru was lying about his identity, she still stuck to her idea of liking only one of them.

But what was the _difference_? The other girls didn't seem to think there was much of one. And if _she_ did, she didn't figure out their lie though. So what was with her?

Kaoru looked again though she was no longer there. "Yeah..."

Since that day, Kaoru began "noticing" Kazehaya Miyuki. The way she always giggled politely to her friends' jokes even when they weren't that funny. The way she covered her mouth when she laughed more sincerely. The way she doodled when she was bored and the way she fiddled with her fingers when she got nervous. The way she got nervous whenever _he_ walked into the room or when she noticed his general presence.

She probably didn't think he noticed. Granted, it was hard to tell considering the Hitachiin twins usually kept a poker face on. But he noticed. He knew Hikaru did too but it didn't seem to have any effect on him though. They went on with their lives, breaking a few hearts here and there with their routine. It went smoothly, unlike with Miyuki. They didn't bother to really acknowledge her after that day, treating her like they treated everyone else.

But still, she lingered in the back of Kaoru's mind. On her end, it seemed she never lost her feelings for him, if how flustered she got around him was any indication. Kaoru wasn't sure how he felt about it—about _her_.

The only other eventful thing that happened that school year was when an upperclassman somehow convinced them to join a new host club he would be starting the year after. They'd be playing a borderline incestuous pair of the mischievous twins, no less... But slowly, their world was opening up. Now it was up to them to let people _in_.


	2. Chapter 2 : Tease

**_[ chapter two : tease ]_**

It was about a month into the first semester of their first high school year. After over a year of working at the Host Club, the Hitachiin twins actually looked forward to going there and putting on their act. An _act_ , it may be, but they were just as mischievous as their personas so it was fun. And goodness forbid they miss out on anything _fun_.

Before they could go for their extracurricular activities though, they had to go through a full day of school first. As always. Not that they expected differently anyway. It was routine. Even their club president's crazy antics and wild ideas were part of the routine. And though they'd never admit it to Suoh Tamaki, they wouldn't like it any other way.

So the brothers put on their high school uniforms, got in their family limousine, and went to school. _Ouran High School._ After the assembly, together, they walked up the stairs to their classroom. In all their years of school, they had always been in the same class.

A certain black-haired girl was usually in there too.

The second they entered the classroom, Kaoru spied her at the front and center of the sea of seats. Miyuki always sat there; every year, the same spot because everyone knew she was a teacher's pet and she had fully embraced it. Despite that label, she had a fair amount of friends—who were much louder than her.

"—told me _my beauty was incomparable to any flower_!" squealed one of them.

The others swooned and gushed how romantic that was... It sounded like Akira had paid a visit to the Host Club and fell for one of Tamaki's charming lines. Miyuki giggled appropriately and smiled. Another girl sighed, leaning on Miyuki. "Oh, I wish _I_ had someone who would say stuff like that to me..."

"You can easily get that at the Host Club, Toki."

"But that'll make _all_ of us spending our evenings there! Miyuki would be left alone..."

"That's fine," Miyuki interjected, stifling a laugh. "Maybe I'll finally get some peace and quiet."

A number of her friends gasped dramatically and most of them slapped her arm lightly, making a chorus of, _"That's mean! Rude! Miyuki!"_ between giggles. Miyuki rubbed her arms, laughing softly with them but stopped abruptly when she noticed the auburn-haired twins walking in.

The girls didn't seem to notice her getting flustered and continued with their conversation. Kaoru didn't look long enough for the two to lock gazes though, walking right past the group and to his seat next to the window. Hikaru sat beside him.

Before Miyuki could rejoin her friends though, another presence interrupted them.

"Excuse me..." Her standing friends parted excitedly so Fujioka Haruhi could get to her seat which was next to Miyuki's. She sat, setting down her bag and then smiling to her. "Morning, Miyuki-chan."

She smiled back casually. "Morning, Haruhi-kun."

The others were not as calm. Haruhi was a girl but _they_ didn't know that. Only the Host Club knew. The rest of the student body thought she was one of the hosts, the "natural" type. Though she was fairly new, Haruhi was increasingly popular at the Host Club. The girls still got quite giddy around her like they used to when the Hitachiin twins first started. They still fangirled, sure, though not as much.

But not Miyuki. Maybe that was why Haruhi seemed to prefer spending time with her, given the option. Miyuki, for one, found it unnatural to fawn over someone when her heart already belonged to a certain someone else. _Yeah_ , that had yet to die down but thankfully, her friends thought it had so she didn't endure as much teasing as she used to. She didn't know the Host Club's secret either.

"Haruhi, I was just telling Miyuki she should come by the Host Club one day," said Toki, beaming sweetly.

"That'll be great." Haruhi gave a charming smile that sent the girls swooning. "I would love to spend more time with you, Miyuki—and all your friends too, of course."

"She gets plenty of attention from you _outside_ the Host Club, Haruhi!" Misako whined teasingly.

Akira giggled. "Yeah! She should meet the others too—like the Hitachiin twins."

That caught the attention of the namesakes. At the mention of their name, they looked at each other and made their way over to the group, joining by Haruhi's sides. "Speak of the devil..." began Hikaru on the right, playing on the fact that their personas were called the _Little Devils_. Kaoru finished for him on the left, "... and he shall appear."

"What are we talking about?" they both asked in perfect synchronization.

Haruhi smiled at her fellow hosts who were the only ones in their class who knew her true gender. "Hey, guys." She gestured before her. "Miyuki might come visit our little club."

" _Really_?" both mused aloud. It was public knowledge, especially in their class, that Kazehaya Miyuki was one of the few girls in the school who never tried the services of the Host Club. "What changed your mind?" asked Hikaru with a grin.

Miyuki was blushing quite madly by then. Never had they addressed her directly like this! Not since _that_ day—which she had a feeling nobody except her remembered. And _never_ in public, ever! "N-no, nothing!" she objected, waving her hands frantically and then fiddling with her fingers. "Toki... well, I never really... I just meant..."

"Aw, look how flustered she is!" Misako pointed out, giggling.

Toki poked her arm playfully. "Hey, you don't still have a crush on K—"

"H- _hey_ , Toki-chan!" Miyuki interrupted her almost desperately before sinking in her seat, embarrassed by her outburst. "I just have other things to do, that's all..."

Haruhi laughed good-naturedly. There was a smile on Hikaru's face, like he suddenly recalled an old memory. Kaoru had a feeling he knew what it was—and the other girls seemed to be thinking of Miyuki's old crush on him too. Taking pity on her, he spoke before anyone could dwell on the thought.

"I get it." All eyes turned to him and he smiled warmly. "That's why I'm glad my favourite things to do can be done at the same time. Hanging out with you lovely ladies," he smiled at all of them and then to his brother, "and spending time with my brother."

Hikaru smirked, picking up on the hint and pulling his twin to him by the arm so their bodies were flush against each other's. "You mean that, Kaoru?" he asked in a low voice, grinning mischievously.

Kaoru lowered his gaze before lifting it to look the other in the eye. "I do..."

Before it could go any further, much to the dismay of the watching fangirls, a teacher entered and instructed everyone to go to their seats. He apologized for being late but a lot of the girls thought he should be sorrier for interrupting the free show!

 _Oh well..._ all the more reason to go to the Host Club, right? Kaoru didn't miss hearing the soft sigh of relief from Miyuki though. He smiled.

But he didn't do this for her. _Did he?_ No, he just saw the opportunity to draw more interest to the Host Club and took it. And it was _fun_ to mess with these girls, sometimes. Yeah.

 _Right?_


	3. Chapter 3 : Partners

_**[ chapter three : partners ]**_

 _"Uhm, Kaoru-kun?"_

The timid voice broke through his thoughts. Kaoru pulled his gaze away from the window to look at the girl who was standing by his table. As soon as he did so though, Miyuki looked away, her side-locks assisting in hiding part of her face. She was nervous which he didn't understand. But he was mostly just confused as to what she was doing here at all. "Yeah?"

After confirming that she had his attention, Miyuki spoke shyly. "Y-you're supposed to pick a name..."

Kaoru looked down to see she was holding a little box half-filled with folded pieces of paper. He looked around to see half of the class standing, talking among themselves. He looked directly to his right to see his twin looking back at him, an eyebrow quirked. _Oh._

He remembered then. Ouran was holding a Spring Festival and every class was required to participate. Their class, Class 1-A, decided to have a mini bake sale and they were splitting off into groups of two to handle a certain part of their booth.

Right.

The boy stuck his hand into the little box and rummaged around before pulling out a piece of paper. Miyuki moved on to the student behind him and held out the box again. _Phew_ , that was nerve wracking... Half the class, including Miyuki, wrote their names down on pieces of paper and the other half got to pick their partners by random. The class teacher thought it would more fun that way—more chances for the students to interact with one another. Whoopee.

"Who'd you get?" asked Hikaru, drawing the attention of a lot of the girls.

He unfolded his paper and read the name aloud. " _Kazehaya Miyuki._ "

 _CLANG! CLANG!_

"S-sorry!" Miyuki bent down to pick up the fallen box and paper pieces, drawing the attention of the remainder of the class.

 _"Awh, Miyuki-chan got one of the twins? I'm_ so _jealous!"_

 _"Hehe, you're so clumsy, Miyuki..."_

 _"I hope I get the other!"_

The twins had turned in their seats too, surprised by the loud noise. The girl's face was blocked from view due to her side-locks but he could tell she was flustered. The new bob haircut was cute, really, but Kaoru couldn't remember the last time he properly saw her face.

She stood and moved on, acting as if she was perfectly calm. She wasn't. But she guessed she'd have to deal with that later.

"Oh boy..." Kaoru murmured with a slight sigh, facing his brother.

His brother snickered. "I would say it's not too late to change but you _did_ say her name out loud."

" _Tsk_. Why couldn't we have just paired up together like we always do?"

"Majority vote," Hikaru answered simply, shrugging. "You want to switch?"

"Can we?" Nobody knew which of the twins already got their partner, right? They could just pretend it was the other.

"We'll see..."

They _didn't_ end up switching partners. Hikaru pulled out Haruhi's name and decided he wanted to stick with her. Kaoru understood, as usual. Besides, surely the incident of two years ago would never come up, right? Hopefully, Miyuki wouldn't waste their time by fawning over him... But he knew he could handle it even if she was a fangirl; he couldn't say the same for Hikaru who could get really nasty when he was annoyed or upset. Kaoru had always been more of the mature one, though most people didn't see the difference.

Miyuki saw it though. It made a _huge_ difference to her. If Hikaru was her partner instead, she wouldn't be as flustered as she was now. Nobody probably realized that... except maybe her friends because when they learned just which twin she got partnered up with, they gave her knowing looks. Then again, they _could_ just be teasing her.

Well, no choice but to suck it up! And that was exactly what she did when everyone was instructed to go to their partners and discuss the beginnings of their plans. Miyuki was the last to do this because as class representative, she had to assign everyone their tasks. But finally, she pulled a chair and sat across from Kaoru at his table—and she was _very_ sure it was him because the other twin was talking cheerily with Haruhi. Her fingers fiddled between each other on her lap, a clear sign of her nervousness.

Kaoru blinked at her, waiting for her to initiate conversation, but she just sat there, her eyes on the table between them as if there was something interesting there. " _So...?_ " he drawled expectantly.

She jumped slightly, the sudden break of silence surprising her. "Oh right..." She inhaled. "Er, Kaoru-kun and I will be doing the f-fliers for our class booth."

"That's it? That sounds pretty simple."

Miyuki's shoulders hunched upwards awkwardly. "D-designing isn't that ea—"

The boy interrupted, "That's not what I meant, Miyuki." He smiled. "I _mean_... everyone seems like they have more work, you know?"

"Oh..." She gave a smile too though it was small. "I have to supervise the whole thing anyway so that might take up a lot of time and I didn't want you to get stuck with so much work _alone_ because that would be—"

"Okay, okay, I get it," he interrupted again with a chuckle. _Jeez_ , this girl was a dork.

His classmate smiled properly then and for a moment, raised her eyes to meet his. "I'm sure the others will need help with the general baking and getting ingredients and stuff so... for now, all we have to do is design the fliers and get them printed."

Nodding, Kaoru leaned back in his seat. "So when should we meet up?" She looked genuinely confused so he continued. "Well, I doubt we have much time left before our next class. _Designing isn't that easy_ ," he echoed teasingly which made the girl blush. "How about after school, at the library?"

"Don't you have your host duties, Kaoru-kun?" she asked hesitantly.

"Not till a little later. And I could miss a few minutes; it's not a big deal."

It actually _might_ be a big deal, Miyuki knew. Without Kaoru, customers couldn't get the whole _Brotherly Love_ package thingy. She knew plenty of girls who would rush over to the Host Club as soon as it opened so they could see the twins in action.

 _But_... if Kaoru was okay with it, then she would be too! Might as well get this over with as soon as possible before she lost her courage.


	4. Chapter 4 : Alone Together

**_[ chapter four : alone together ]_**

Just like that, Miyuki was pretty much distracted for rest of the day. She had a meeting with her crush of two years! Who _wouldn't_ be excited? She hoped she looked okay today. If she had known she was going to get some one-on-one time with Kaoru, she would've... she would've... Okay, maybe there wouldn't be a difference, but _still_!

Over where Kaoru sat, he glanced at the girl at the front of the class a number of times throughout the day. She'd always had a pleasant and gentle expression but today, she appeared to smile to herself often.

When class finally ended, he reminded his brother of the change of plans and they walked out of the class with Haruhi. Miyuki found herself a little disheartened. She thought the two of them were going to go out together... W-well, he never specified if they would be so she _shouldn't_ feel anything about it. She would just see him at the library then—if he remembered. For the life of her, she couldn't work up the nerve to call out and remind him.

So the girl packed up her things quickly and joined her friends in walking out of the class, quietly listening to the conversation. They knew she had to go to the library but offered to walk her there before heading for the Host Club.

To their surprise though, that wouldn't be necessary.

"Miyuki," called out a too-familiar voice as the group of girls walked out.

The black-haired one turned and couldn't help but smile widely when she saw Hitachiin Kaoru leaning against the wall next to the door to the classroom. So he _did_ wait for her, after all! No, no, she shouldn't think too much into this...

Her giddiness was interrupted by Misako's giggling. "Well, I guess you don't need _us_ then, Miyuki-chan." The others followed her lead and walked away, Toki giving her friend a pat on the head as a farewell. "Don't have _too_ much fun, now! You're having him for free, after all."

 _Ugh_ , as if they could get any more embarrassing! Miyuki went over to where her project partner was, the blush too clear on her cheeks—what he could see of them anyway. Those side-locks make a pretty good curtain. "Sorry about them, Kaoru-kun..."

"Don't worry about it." He shook his head, smiling, and then nodded his head in direction of the library. "Shall we?"

They made their way there in silence. Miyuki wasn't sure of what kind of conversation to make and frankly, she couldn't get the words out anyway while Kaoru thought he was being polite in letting her stay in her comfort zone. Once the pair reached their destination and got to work though, he finally couldn't stand the quiet and decided to make small talk.

It worked. Slowly but surely, Miyuki let down her guard though she remained shy. Sometimes, she reverted back to that timid self when she realized the change in her behaviour, embarrassed.

It was a shame. Kaoru found she actually had a really cute laugh and that hair hid quite a pretty face. In the end, they didn't even manage to finish the design for the bake sale fliers. He looked at the clock. "I think I should get to the club now, Miyuki."

She followed his gaze and her smile dropped. "Oh..." She looked back down at their work which admittedly wasn't much at all. "I-I'm sorry, Kaoru-kun."

"Don't take _all_ the credit," he pointed out, laughing when she bowed her head. "I got distracted too. So would you please stop being so formal with me?" Still chuckling, he took her chin between his thumb and index finger and lifted her face.

His own face wasn't even that close to hers when he did this but it still made heat rise rapidly to Miyuki's cheeks. She pulled away from his grasp and nodded. "O-okay!" To distract herself, she hurriedly began clearing the table with Kaoru's help.

When he stood to leave though, she remained seated where she was with a number of books before her. "Miyuki? You're not going home?"

"I think I'm going to get some homework done here," she answered smally, wondering if he'd think she was such a nerd for doing so.

Kaoru shrugged, patted her head, and said goodbye before running off towards where the Host Club would be. He didn't realize he forgot his phone in the mess that was their "work". He was more focused of the likely earful he was expecting to get. Ugh, he was definitely going to hear it from the others, he knew it. _Especially_ that Shadow King, Ootori Kyoya!


	5. Chapter 5 : Welcome

**_[ chapter five : welcome ]_**

Miyuki _tried_ to study. Really, she did. But she just couldn't focus on algebra when that boy was still on her mind! She ran their brief interaction over and over in her head, as if she would forget it if she stopped. He was so sweet today! There was still mischief in his eyes like he and his brother always had but... On his own, the younger twin seemed more mature and gentle.

Getting over him was impossible. Now, she was _sure_ she was in love with Hitachiin Kaoru.

Her daydreaming was cut short by the sound of a phone ringing but when her eyes scanned the table before her, there was none to be found. Oh no. It was coming from somewhere under her litter of books! Miyuki stood abruptly and started searching for it, sending a few papers flying in the process but she got the phone nonetheless. "Hello?" she greeted quickly, somewhat out of breath. _Yeesh_ , how bad was her stamina?

Silence for a moment of the other end of the line before a girl's voice spoke. _"Who's this?"_

"Uhm... Miyuki."

 _"Kazehaya?"_

She paused. "Who are you?"

 _"Oh my gosh!"_ An excited squeal sounded. _"What are_ you _doing with Kaoru's phone?! Did you—"_

Miyuki pulled the phone away from her ear to look at it. Crap! It _wasn't_ her phone! And according to the other girl, this was Kaoru's! Ugh, he must've forgotten it in his haste to get to the club. She stammered a quick apology to the caller and hung up. Sh-she should probably return this to him before anything else happened...

She hurriedly packed up her stuff and ran out of the library to where she knew the Host Club was located. Music Room 3, wasn't it? Famous as it was, it wasn't possible to _not_ know the place. She had even walked her friends here a couple of times. Still, when she arrived, she opened the door timidly and poked her head in to make sure.

Yeah, it was the Host Club alright.

It must be a themed day because the whole room was decorated to look like a tropical island paradise. It reminded her of one of her family's hotels in Hawaii... Maybe she could look around a bit? Drawn in, Miyuki entered and let the door close behind her with a soft click. Just this subtle sound was enough to draw the attention of a passerby though.

He was a short blonde boy who looked very cute in his costume. Must be one of the hosts. Seeing Miyuki, he turned on his heel and looked up at her with shining eyes even though she must be only about an inch or so taller than him. "Hi there!" he exclaimed excitedly, probably realizing she was new here. But instead of addressing that point, he simply invited, "Would you like some cake?"

"Erm, n-no... I really should—"

"It'll only take a minute! Come on, eat some cake with me. The Host Club has _really_ good ones," he assured her and then insistently pulled her by the hand to an empty table. "What's your name anyway?"

His grip wasn't that strong so she could've easily pulled away but it was hard to say _no_ again to that cute face! So she found herself following his lead, wondering if this was part of how the club managed to draw in so many customers. "Kazehaya Miyuki."

The boy turned his head to beam at her. "That's a pretty name! Everyone calls me Hunny. Can I call you Miyuki-chan?"

"Uhm, okay." She couldn't help but smile at his bright personality. But then she realized she was being pulled to a table where a taller, more intimidating black-haired boy was. She shrank under his stoic gaze. It didn't help that all these boys in costume were _shirtless_! She could see how muscled he was... Even Hunny, slender he may be, had a good physique.

"Takashi! Meet Miyuki-chan! Miyuki-chan, _you_ can call him Mori," Hunny cried, introducing them. "Hey, Takashi, can you get us some cake?"

Mori looked at the girl for a few seconds before finally speaking almost robotically. "Newcomer."

Almost immediately, another boy appeared and rushed to them. He had blonde hair too though it was brighter. His eyes were violet? Blue? It was obvious he had some mixed blood in him. So that meant he must be the famous Suoh Tamaki. Actually, she already _knew_ who these hosts were. It was hard not to considering how popular they all were.

"Welcome! To the Ouran High School Host Club!" He had a charming grin on and leaned in close to her, making her flush immediately. "This is where—"

Miyuki took a step back, her shoulders hunched. "S-sorry but I already know... Kind of hard _not_ to." She gave a sheepish smile and shrugged.

Tamaki peered at her and then laughed warmly. "I see... Well then, I guess the next step is for you to choose your host! _Kyoya_ ," he called out. He grabbed the arm of a neat-looking bespectacled black-haired boy who sat at a table alone with his laptop and then pulled him to face the new girl. "Kyoya, this is... Sorry, I forgot to ask your name. Or shall I just call you _beautiful_?"

"Her name's Kazehaya Miyuki!" Hunny answered for her, latching on to her right arm.

Something shone in Ootori Kyoya's eyes. " _Kazehaya_ , is it? Well, we'll find the perfect host for you. Our club has multiple packages to offer." The smile that crept to his lips was somewhat creepy, like he knew something she didn't. It made her think of the Cheshire cat.

Tamaki's smile seemed much more genuine, though she was sure he behaved the same to all the club's customers. "That's right! You can pick whichever persona you like best." He leaned in close again, taking her chin between his thumb and fore finger. "If you want, _I_ can be your prince charming."

This position was strangely familiar... Remembering Kaoru and how he did the same thing to her just earlier, Miyuki's eyes widened and she turned away, fiddling with her fingers.

The blonde chuckled. "Hey, you don't have to be shy... You look very cute like that." Being the gentleman he was though, he didn't try to do that again. Appreciating his not pushing it, the girl smiled back shyly.

"Boss, what are you doing?"

The synchronized speech indicated the twins' presence and sure enough, when Miyuki looked up, there they were. Th-their chests were bare too, wearing matching costumes. She looked away quickly but her cheeks flared red.

Kaoru blinked, recognizing her now they were in closer proximity. " _Miyuki_?"


	6. Chapter 6 : For You

**_[ chapter six : for you ]_**

 _"Miyuki?"_

In awkward shyness, she lifted a hand to wave at him.

"Hey, Miyuki-chan!" Haruhi was there too, apparently. Miyuki must've missed her when she hurriedly looked away from her crush...

Kyoya pushed his glasses slightly further up his nose. "Oh, that's right. All four of you are in the same class this year. I assume you know each other well?"

" _Er_ , n-not at all!" Miyuki insisted, as if the alternative was too scandalous. "We're just classmates..."

"Not _just_ ," Hikaru objected, pretending to pout. "You and Kaoru are project partners now. Isn't that right, Miyuki?"

The black-haired girl nodded, uncomfortable that so many eyes were on her. Now that the hosts were surrounding her, the guests were starting to look too. "Th-that's kind of why I'm here, actually..."

Haruhi looked concerned. "You're handling the fliers, right? Well I guess you do have _more_ on your plate as class rep..."

"Hm?" Hunny looked up at them. "Is this about that Spring Festival? What is your class doing?"

"A bake sale," Miyuki answered with a warm smile, knowing it would please the other. It did.

Tamaki turned to his glasses-wearing friend. "Hey, Kyoya, what are _we_ doing for that?"

He got a sigh in response. "If you paid any attention in class, maybe you'd know—"

Kaoru looked at his project partner who was fiddling with her fingers and probably waiting for her turn to speak. That would never come if she didn't just interject and say something. He knew from experience that these guys can go on forever—himself included, of course. He sighed too. "Don't you guys have customers to get to?" he interrupted.

Kyoya smirked, fixing his glasses again. "Quite right. I'm sure Miyuki has come here for Kaoru as her _classmate_ , not a host." Tamaki and Hunny whined but were ignored. "Just don't take too long, Kaoru. You and Hikaru have clients too." With that, he walked off to resume whatever it was he was doing earlier.

Tamaki followed his lead while Hunny required a little probing (and pulling) from Mori. Hikaru pulled his twin to him instead. "You're not suggesting I do this _alone_ , are you?" His voice was low and seductive, making his words sound naughtier than it was.

"Hikaru, stop..." his twin replied, looking away but not putting any distance between them, much to the glee of onlookers. "People can see us..."

He smirked. " _Let_ them look, Kaoru..." He finally released the other from his embrace and sighed. "But... I understand. I'll wait for you."

The girl in disguise had deadpanned next to Miyuki and muttered, " _Seriously_ , girls are into that stuff?"

Miyuki giggled and watched as the last of the hosts finally left her and Kaoru to their own business. He walked towards and then past her. "Follow me." She did so obediently and they stood a little ways away from the main crowd. Kaoru leaned and rested his weight against the wall. "What is it?"

The timid girl nodded and then searched her pockets before pulling out a familiar phone. _His_ phone. "Y-you left it at the library, Kaoru-kun." She held it out to him, eyes looking everywhere else again. Especially the floor. That was a nice floor.

"Oh. Thank you." He took the phone from her. But she wasn't looking back at him—which was really starting to nag at something in his head. He thought he was used to girls behaving differently around him but she just... Sighing, he stood properly. "And I thought I told you there's no need to be so formal with me."

Miyuki only lifted her shoulders slightly in a shrug and was about to say goodbye when she felt something warm on her cheek. She froze and stared at the boy. _K-Kaoru was touching her cheek!_ Then his hand moved... to tuck her right side-locks behind her ear. That side was the most troublesome, constantly hiding her face from full view. The left side was more of a frame than a curtain so he left it the way it was.

"I think that's the first time I can actually see _all_ of your face, Miyuki." Kaoru smiled, laughing lightly. She blushed harder, if that was even possible, and tried to look away. But the boy merely guided her to face him again. "I'm serious! You should wear your hair like that more often... I like it."

Miyuki blinked at him, wondering if he knew the effect he had on her. And if he did know, did he know _why_? Did he realize her feelings for him were still strong or thought her just another fangirl? She wondered if she should try and confess again.

"O-okay."

What was _that_?!

No, no, this was good... She almost blurted out her biggest secret ever. Kaoru smirked at her obedient behaviour and stepped away from her. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

The girl could only nod. "Bye, Kaoru-ku—" He cleared his throat. "Oh. Uhm... _Kaoru_. Bye, Kaoru." It felt a little odd to address him without the honorific but she guessed it did make them more casual. Maybe then she wouldn't get so flustered.

Kaoru smiled and walked away to resume his host duties. As she watched him walk off, she realized the few pairs of eyes turned their way. _Whoops._ She nodded to acknowledge Mori as he walked past, her hair falling over her face again.

This time, she didn't leave it there. _This_ time, she moved those locks back behind her ear as Kaoru had done for her.

The next day, Miyuki decided to go with his suggestion and used a cute little white hair clip to keep her side-locks in place. That wasn't the only thing she did to earn points with her crush though. After dinner that night, she worked on a better design for the fliers, something more _interesting_. At school, she subconsciously walked with more confidence.

The Hitachiins arrived before her that morning and settled in their seats, talking about no particular subject. So when Miyuki entered the classroom, she immediately spotted her project partner. Putting her bag at her table, she went over to him. "Kaoru?"

Both boys looked up but the one by the window (whom she stood closer to) smiled wider at her. "Hi, Miyuki," they greeted simultaneously. Then Kaoru continued slyly, "I like your hair."

"Yeah, you actually have a cute face," Hikaru added and he looked like he meant it.

Fiddling with her fingers, she thanked them. Then she pulled out a piece of folded paper to hand to Kaoru—and judging by their lack of objections, she was pretty sure she had guessed right. He took it from her and looked at it before turning back to her without unfolding it. Excitedly, she opened her mouth to explain. "It's—"

 _"Miyuki-chan! Is that a_ love _letter?!"_ someone from the opposite end of the classroom yelled.

Toki's confused voice sounded right after. "Eh? Another one?"

And just like that, chaos ensued.

 _"You mean she has confessed before?!"_

 _"I knew it!"_

 _"Someone told me she answered Kaoru's phone for him yesterday!"_

Really, people had no sense of privacy... Miyuki was becoming more and more flustered with each person that joined the commotion, her previous bravery disappearing much too soon. "H-hey, it's not like _that_!" she cried desperately as they began to crowd where she was. "This just about the project..." But she knew it was too late.

Even if they understood the piece of paper she gave Kaoru was a sketch for the bake sale fliers, her friend's big mouth revealed her old secret confession which led to more speculation on her feelings for the younger Hitachiin. Speaking of whom _..._ Hikaruand Kaoru seemed quite calm about the whole ordeal. _Too_ calm. Miyuki had looked to them to maybe help her play the situation down but but they merely looked calmly at each other. Then Kaoru looked at her too and _that_ was when she realized.

He already knew.


	7. Chapter 7 : Confessions

**_[ chapter seven : confessions ]_**

Thankfully, a teacher entered the class then and everyone went to their assigned seats. As Miyuki sat there, at the front, her mind was whirring. Like yesterday, she found she couldn't concentrate very well at the lessons. But her feelings were the direct _opposite_ of that giddy excitement yesterday. Today, she was filled with dread.

 _He knew._ It was obvious by how unfazed he was by the supposedly "new" information—unless the twins were so very used to being confessed to. That seemed likely too.

In any case, the girl was about to find out. As soon as recess started, she went over to Kaoru with her head bowed in embarrassment. She stood in front of him, across his desk, her right hand gripping her left arm as if to keep it steady. Kaoru had been about to get up when she appeared so he stopped, blinking at her. He had noticed her forlorn face during class but didn't understand it. It seemed it was about him? This confrontation wasn't really unexpected so he waited patiently for her to say her piece.

They didn't have an audience this time but the other Hitachiin was sitting at the next table, waiting too. Miyuki paid him no mind though and got straight to the point. "You knew," she stated simply but softly. Seeing him nod, she couldn't stop herself from blurting, "How?"

Both boys shrugged. "To be honest, it was quite obvious." It was. It really was. Maybe if they hadn't already known about her feelings two years ago, they might've not thought much of her awkward behaviour. It didn't really affect them. As evidence, the only thing that brought them together was the class project which Kaoru and Miyuki were only partnered up by chance.

"Not _that_..." Miyuki shook her head and then fiddled with her fingers. _Great_ , did she really have to say it? And what if she was wrong? Though she was pretty sure she wasn't... "You knew I had co-confessed to you before. I could tell..."

Kaoru fidgeted. "Oh. That." He looked at his brother who looked back silently.

"Did Hikaru tell you? O-or was it Toki? Because she _promised_ she wouldn't and I really thought I could just let this die down unt—"

"Hey," they said together, turning their gazes back to the girl. Hikaru opened his mouth to explain what really happened that day but the other ginger beat him to the punch. "We just don't keep things from each other."

Hikaru looked at his brother again, slightly confused though it didn't show on his face. Why didn't he just tell her the whole truth? That he had known all along? _Kaoru_ was the one who found the letter because it was indeed placed in the right desk. The fact that they didn't keep secrets between them was the reason _Hikaru_ knew, not the other way around.

Miyuki accepted it nonetheless, nodding her head and then shrugging. "I guess I should've known..." She turned to walk away but was stopped.

"I hope this doesn't change anything." She looked at the speaker in surprise but Kaoru simply smiled gently. "You're still my partner, right, _partner_?"

Two spots of pink appeared on both her cheeks then. D-did he mean that? She hadn't even thought about how this would affect them "professionally" but the fact that he was the first to mention it and even making sure they were okay... it made her feel all warm, reminding her of her feelings once again. Why did he have to be so sweet? Miyuki nodded, not trusting her mouth to not say anything stupid.

Then she rushed out of the room to join her friends.

Hikaru poked his brother's arm. "Hey. What was _that_ , Kao? What point is there in sparing her feelings like that?" The younger twin shrugged, making him squint his eyes suspiciously. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were close to _flirting_ with her at the end there..."

Kaoru didn't answer, didn't deny it. Instead, he stood and nodded his head to the classroom exit before walking.

"Wait..." murmured the other, following behind him as they maneuvered between the rows of seats and tables. "You don't have feelings for her, do you?" he asked, sounding sceptical.

"Hikaru, give it a rest." Kaoru rolled his golden brown eyes. They were finally in the hallway now, walking past other students and other students walking past them. He couldn't have his twin spouting his mouth off, in case someone heard.

Hikaru inhaled sharply. "Kaoru!" He did have enough sense to lower his voice though. "You _do_ , don't you?"

Kaoru was starting to feel uncomfortable. But he didn't find it as hard as his brother in owning up to one's feelings—to the other anyway. Looking around, he made sure no one could hear him and when he finally answered, he only whispered, "Maybe."

He was then given a look of disbelief. _Why_ though? Instilled with a sense of superiority they may be, they did realize they were people too. And people were prone to liking others romantically. _But_... they had always felt the same about everything; one of the reasons it was so hard to tell them apart. For one to develop feelings on his own was just _weird_ , in Hikaru's opinion.

Kaoru himself had a different train of thought. Wasn't it about time they became less dependent on each other? He loved his brother and how they got along so well, almost never needing to speak to share their thoughts because they were so similar, but... they _were_ individuals, weren't they?

Although he was able to (sort of) admit it to his twin, he couldn't do that yet to the actual subject of his affections. To be fair though, he _was_ still trying to figure it out himself anyway. Maybe he was just flattered that Miyuki had turned down Hikaru for him two years ago? Maybe he liked that she reacted differently? As if her feelings were genuine... He wondered this while they finalized the design of the fliers at the library again. Miyuki was doing most of the actual drawing part and he thought she looked quite cute when she was so concentrated on something. And now with her bangs pulled back, her fair features stood out more.

She only realized she was being stared at when she finished and tried to slide it across the table to Kaoru. She blinked at him, feeling heat rise to her face. "Hm? Kaoru? I-is there something on my face?" Lowering her head, she wiped her face with the back of her hand. How embarrassing!

"You just had a smudge of ink on your nose," he lied smoothly, chuckling a little. His eyes moved on to the piece of paper in front of him.

They had decided to go with Miyuki's latest idea, the design she had tried to show him earlier that morning before someone misinterpreted. So all that was left when they met up again later was the finishing touches which she just, well, _finished_.

Kaoru smiled. It was truly not a bad piece of work. His mother being a clothing designer, he grew up knowing what would appeal to people's eyes. "It looks good. You're pretty good at this, Miyuki."

The compliment had an immediate effect on her, making her blush. "Th-thank you... Uhm, we should find a place to print—"

"Can we walk and talk? I should get going." He was already standing by then so the girl followed his lead and they quickly made for the Host Club, discussing the details of printing on their way.

Once they got there though, Hikaru immediately rushed towards them. "Took you two long enough... I sure hope you weren't doing anything you shouldn't." He smirked.

The other twin swore he would facepalm himself if there wasn't anyone else around. Damn! He better not keep teasing about this in public... Rather than scowl like he wanted to, he smiled knowingly and leaned forward a little. "Being naughty is _your_ forte, Hikaru."

"Hm, I wouldn't mind teaching you some of my tricks, Kaoru," he replied, playing along. Girls at a nearby table squealed in excitement. Both boys smirked. After they said goodbye to Miyuki, Hikaru took his brother's hand and pulled him towards their fans.

In their place, Kyoya stood before her then. "Miyuki."

The girl gasped loudly. She had been carelessly watching Kaoru and almost forgot where she was... Sheepishly, she smiled to the raven-haired boy. "H-hello, Kyoya-senpai."

He smiled back. "I have a preposition for you. Would that be okay?"

"Uhm... okay..." She nodded, her fingers coming together in her nervousness.

Kyoya chuckled and softened his gaze—he knew he could be intimidating sometimes. That came in handy often, especially with the other hosts, but he had a feeling that wasn't the right way with Miyuki if he were to get what he wanted. "It's regarding your family's hotel in Okinawa."


	8. Chapter 8 : Questions

**_[ chapter eight : questions ]_**

The Kaze Hotel in Okinawa was a newly opened one by Miyuki's older sister who also happened to be the heir of the Kazehaya family. Stubborn as a mule, Manami wasn't a big fan of publicity stunts which was what she would've considered Kyoya's proposal to be.

 _"How would Kaze Hotel like to be a sponsor for a school club trip? The Ouran High School Host Club is planning to organize an outing for the clients to spend a weekend with the hosts by the beach in Okinawa. The hotel would provide lodging and services at a lower price and give the club exclusive access to the beach nearby for the first day. In return, this allows the clients, most of which coming from wealthy families, a taste of Kaze Hotel services. It would be a win-win situation!"_

Absolutely _crazy_! But it was her baby sister who did the talking instead, though she used the Shadow King's words like some middle person. Manami thought it over seriously. Usually, she wouldn't even bother entertaining ideas from a teenager but this was her _sister_.

"Come on, Manami! I trust Kyoya-senpai," she insisted over a Skype call that night. "I wouldn't relay his idea if I didn't think it was any good."

Eating a late dinner then, Manami tapped her chopsticks together and hummed. "I don't get why you're so eager about this. I didn't even realize _Host Clubs_ would be your kind of thing."

The younger girl blushed. "They're not... Kyoya-senpai approached me—"

"Then he's using you."

"Is _not_! He's nice!"

"All hosts _are_ , stupid," she retorted, rolling her eyes. Her little sister was always so quick to trust others.

Okay, maybe that was true but Miyuki wasn't about to back down. She liked when people included her in plans; one of the reasons her friends could easily drag her to do crazy things. Her sister knows this trait too. She pouted. "You're just too cautious, Manami."

The other girl gasped loudly and slammed her chopsticks onto her tabletop, cheeks red. "So are you, Miyuki!" _Grr_ , that kid always knew just how to get her riled up! Manami had been told before how she always played it safe and how that made her predictable. "Hmph, though I think the word _timid_ fits you better..."

Miyuki whined. " _Please_? I know it's good idea. I'll get to hang out with my friends too—they're all clients of the club!"

"Isn't that Kaoru of yours a host too?" Manami quirked an eyebrow, the corner of her lips tugging. The silence she got in response made her fully smirk then. "Make sure you wear something decent." Seeing the other glare made her laugh. "I know, I know... I'm not worried about _you_. You don't have the nerve to do anything like seduce or flirt with him. It's him I'm not so sure about."

"He's _nice_ , Manami."

"You think everyone is."

"He's sweet a-and _genuine_ and funny and gr—"

"Stop! Stop!" She pretended to gag but then smiled. "I get it, you love him. Don't remind me." The sisters laughed before she became more serious. "I just meant, don't let him manipulate you. Don't fall for _anyone's_ tricks."

Miyuki sighed in mock exasperation. "If I promise to, would you agree to let the Host Club book the beach?"

"Hm... I don't know..."

" _Manami!_ "

"Kidding!" She laughed again. "Alright. Tell your friend to contact me for details."

And that was what Miyuki did as soon as they ended their call, sending Kyoya a text message. They must've made the arrangements swiftly because that very weekend, she found herself in a limousine, sitting between friends and a packed luggage bag on her lap, headed for the Kaze Hotel in Okinawa. The girls were all very excited, Akira and Misako hugging Miyuki suffocatingly in their appreciation.

Then they checked into the hotel (which all the girls found pretty impressive), changed into their swimsuits, and made for the hotel's private section of the beach. And what a beach it was. White sand, clear waters, sea breeze... everyone loved it.

Apparently, the hosts hadn't realized until recently that their clients would be joining them but they settled into their roles pretty quickly. Tamaki had a line of girls waiting to have one-on-one time with him which was organized by Kyoya. The Hitachiins were playing volleyball, "flirting" with each other and the girls while they were at it. Haruhi simply sat on a mat under an umbrella, watching the others. Mori and Hunny were... doing yoga? Swimming exercises? Something.

Miyuki had been busy observing the twins since she spotted them. Hm... Kaoru was the one in the black and purple swimming trunks, Hikaru in the red and black. Yeah, she made up her mind. Looking at him shirtless made her blush but she couldn't resist looking. _He looked so good!_

The sound of fangirls giggling as Hikaru chased his brother along the shoreline brought Miyuki back to reality. That was right... Kaoru was here to entertain the guests. Truthfully, the reason she never went to the Host Club was her heart couldn't bear to see her crush flirt with another girl. But she had no right to him either so that only hurt more. She looked away from the scene they were making.

Toki noticed this and frowned but she quickly plastered on a smile. "Come on, Miyuki! Let's go talk to Haruhi-kun!"

Akira and Misako followed her lead and linked arms with their more timid friend, dragging her over to where one of the hosts sat. "Uhm, Haruhi?" began Akira.

The brunette turned around and Miyuki forced herself to focus. Hm, Haruhi wasn't in her swimming gear... While this made sense to all the other hosts, the clients didn't understand so they thought it would be a good idea to approach him. Toki leaned forward cutely. "Aren't you going to go swimming with us?"

"No, I, uh... I like looking at the sea from a safe distance," she explained.

"Well, if you're not going to swim, would you mind if we sat here and talked with you?" Misako gave a sweet smile with her suggestion.

Haruhi's eyes seemed shine as she smiled back. "Why? You girls should go swim. You've got cute swimsuits on, why not show them off?"

The girls swooned and even Miyuki felt a little warmed by the compliment but the way the host looked somewhat surprised by the reaction made her giggle. Her friends said their okay-s and practically went off to the water with a skip in their step. Miyuki had explained to them that she had wanted to ask Haruhi something so she stayed behind and sat with the girl in disguise on the mat.

"You're not joining them, Miyuki-chan?" Haruhi blinked at her. _Hm_ , that swimsuit looked familiar... After a bit of memory searching, she realized it was the blue one-piece that Hunny had suggested she wore earlier—before they realized they wouldn't taking the day off after all.

Miyuki shook her head. "Haruhi-kun... I have a question."

"Is it about Kaoru?" Seeing the visible blush reaction, she chuckled. "Yeah, I think everyone knows by now. I'm sorry."

The other pulled up her legs to tuck her embarrassed face in the gap between her knees. " _Ugh..._ " After a minute, she looked up, turning her head. "I just wanted to know i-if Kaoru-kun is annoyed by me. I mean, he _seems_ like he isn't and he acts very casual with me but I don't know... Has he said anything to you?"

"Well, no... But I don't think he _would_ tell me if he felt that way."

Miyuki stood and smiled sheepishly before bowing lightly. "Uhm... please don't tell Kaoru-kun I asked this." She realized Kaoru was more likely to tell his true feelings to his brother but she couldn't very well ask Hikaru— _that_ would be weird of her, right?

Haruhi stopped her before she turned away. "Hey, don't think about it too much, okay? Just have fun today." She gave that signature smile that everyone seemed to love, hoping it would have the same effect on this girl.

Nodding, the black-haired girl smiled back though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She joined her friends in the water and they quite easily got her mind of things as they played around. When they got tired, they went back to walking around the beach. In short, it was a very full day and Miyuki honestly had a lot of fun. Sure, she never once bumped into Kaoru, who always seemed to be around other girls, much less hear him confess his love to her but it was a _good_ day, nonetheless.

As the sun started to set, the four friends climbed to a high point on some rocks to watch the view. "There's a pretty good view down there too," Misako pointed out with a giggle.

All four followed her gaze to sea Haruhi picking up a shellfish and putting it into a bucket. Akira called out to her, "Up here, Haruhi!"

"What's up?" Misako giggled again when the host did look up.

"The breeze up here feels great!" Toki commented, waving enthusiastically.

"It's dangerous," reminded Haruhi. "Be careful!"

She was right, of course, but Miyuki was confident they wouldn't do anything stupid way up here. Her friends weren't _that_ crazy. The breeze blew through the girls' hairs. "This feels so good." She breathed in deeply, enjoying it. Her sister sure knew how to pick places.


	9. Chapter 9 : Friends and Foes

**_[ chapter nine : friends and foes ]_**

"Hey, there are chicks up there, man!"

The voice made the girls turn around to the source of it with a gasp. Two strangers had climbed up the same way they did and started walking towards them. "Aren't _we_ lucky?" commented the second who wore a hoodie.

The first boy, the one in shorts, threw an empty can over the side of the rocks. "You ladies want to hang out with a couple of locals?"

The girls huddled together but Akira stepped forward protectively. "No, thanks. Please, just leave us al—" She was cut off as her hand was grabbed. Miyuki felt her hand being gripped nervously by Misako next to her.

" _Aw_ , come on," the other one said. "We just want to show you girls how to have a good ti—"

He was cut off too by Toki, this time. "This is a private beach today. You guys are not allowed to be here."

" _Private_?" What the one in the hoodie said next was lost on them as he wrapped his arms around them, making them cry out in fear.

Miyuki, who had been tucked between Toki and Misako, squirmed out. She tried to take that opportunity of surprise to run away but was grabbed by the waist by the other stranger. She cried out again, trying to push him away. "My sister owns this place. I'm getting security!"

He opened his mouth to say something but all that came out was a yell and he suddenly released the two girls who fell with the force. They looked up to see the stranger rubbing his back which was turned to them frantically. Haruhi was some distance away with her now empty bucket of shellfish.

"Why don't you quit bothering them?!" she shot. "Weren't you jerks listening? You better just leave them alone."

"Haruhi!" Akira cheered, thanking her lucky stars.

The stranger wasn't as happy, of course, and scowled. "You little runt!"

Miyuki tried to get up but a sharp pain shot up her leg. Akira noticed this and told her not to move. "A-Akira... Go get help."

The other girl nodded and ran past the stranger and Haruhi to find someone. Thankfully, the first people she bumped into were some of the hosts. Back on the rock, the stranger had grabbed Haruhi by the shirt and was steadily backing her to the edge of the rock—just a few more steps and she could easily be tipped over. And that was _exactly_ what he did to her.

The girls screamed and a male's voice cried out Haruhi's name before Tamaki flashed past Miyuki's eyes and immediately dove into the water after his friend. Seeing that, the trespasser called for his friend to scram. Toki and Misako rushed towards Miyuki as soon as they were let go. The men tried to run too but Miyuki grabbed the foot of the one closest to her, making him fall. He kicked to make the girl release him and his friend helped him up.

It was too late though because the only way down was blocked by three other boys. Kyoya folded his arms across his chest and nodded to the twins. Given the permission, the Hitachiins didn't hesitate to lunge at the hostile strangers.

The raven-haired boy went to the girls. "Go. Get back to the hotel."

Miyuki nodded. She put her arms over her friends who helped her up and walked on either side of her. Climbing down was particularly a hassle but they managed. They passed hotel security on their way and one officer helped her the rest of the way back.

Toki and Misako went to their rooms after leaving their injured friend with a nurse in the hotel's mini medical office. It was just a slight sprain but she had to stay there for a while. Hearing what had happened, Akira brought Miyuki's jacket from her room to her before going to dinner. After the nurse left too, Miyuki called her sister to tell her what happened and they had a good long chat before being interrupted.

Someone knocked on the door so she called for them to enter so Kaoru did. He was in an orange sleeveless shirt and greenish beige pants now. He looked good, as always, but more than that... he looked _concerned_.

Miyuki blushed. "Uhm, I have to go, Manami." She hung up without waiting for a response. Oh _great_... She realized she couldn't turn her body very much because her bandaged foot was propped up on a pillow on the bench opposite her so she ended up looking slightly over her shoulder awkwardly. "H-hi, Kaoru."

"Hey..." He closed the door behind him (which made the girl inhale sharply) and sat on the bench, in the space next to her foot and across her so they faced each other. He tried to grin. "How did you know it was me?"

" _You're_ just more likely to visit me than Hikaru-kun," she explained with a blush, mentally reprimanding herself for assuming it was Kaoru in the first place. Being wrong would've been extremely embarrassing—like two years ago.

He nodded, feeling only a little disheartened. He had hoped for a "deeper" answer but this made more sense so... Whatever. He came to check up on her, not test her. Hikaru thought he went to the restroom though. "I heard you were in here. What happened?"

"Those boys earlier... I fell and kind of sprained my ankle." She cleared her throat awkwardly. "How's Haruhi-kun?"

"He's okay. He's tough so..."

"Right. Uhm... and you?"

Kaoru gave a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think it's safe to say you should be more worried about those boys." She laughed too, covering her mouth a little with the back of her hand. So he knew it was a sincere laugh. He smiled warmly. "They deserved it."

"Kyoya-senpai looked like a _yakuza_ boss, standing there then." She thought about it, laughing again and forgetting to be flustered, for a moment.

"Really, I'm glad you're okay though, Miyuki."

"Th-thanks..." That simple line brought all her self-consciousness back, making her cheeks pink and her fingers fiddle with each other. After all, her bare legs were stretched out before him since she was still in her swimsuit. Then there was that bandaged foot right next to him. Add in the fact that he looked so _good_ right then! Did he even _realize_ how sweet and amazing he was?

The ginger hesitated. "Miyuki—"

 _"Guess who brought food?!"_

The door burst open to reveal three girls—Toki, Akira and Misako who was carrying a plate of seafood and rice. They froze in the doorway just like how Kaoru had frozen partway through leaning towards Miyuki. The two sides stared at each other.

"U-uh, sorry!" cried Akira frantically.

Kaoru stood calmly as if he had been meaning to. "No, it's fine. I was worried about you guys too. Is everything okay?"

Hearing his concern for the others, the black-haired girl looked down at her hands. She couldn't tell if she was disheartened or even more in love with his caring attitude. Of course, if she had known he only said it to cover up, she might've been surer of her emotions.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Toki insisted in a high pitched voice.

Misako lifted the plate in her hands, the first to recover from the shock of seeing their most timid friend alone with a boy—her _crush_ too, no less! Lucky girl... "We thought we might bring Miyuki-chan her dinner and eat with her because she has to stay here."

"How sweet of you." Kaoru smiled charmingly, looking away with a slight blush. "You remind me of my brother. Hikaru would _never_ leave me alone in bed... sick." That subtle pause did it, left to interpretation and _their_ interpretation made the three squeal internally. He smirked in his head. _Easy peasy._ "Speaking of whom, I should get back to him."

"Oh, wait, Kaoru!" Toki tapped her chin, trying to remember what it was she had to say. "Uhm, Kazukiyo-kun said something earlier..."

Misako sighed. "Toki, you idiot." So much for that _sweetness_... Then she smiled. "Kazukiyo-kun texted Toki-chan to tell you two that Momoka-chan told _him_ that her oven broke."

"Since the bake sale is in two days, she needs someone to bake the cakes tomorrow," Akira explained with a nod. "And _since_ you're the only group left without anything to do, Momoka-chan asked if you can do it."

Groaning dramatically, Toki put her hands on her hips. "How _I_ got partnered up with someone who makes last-minute excuses and tells someone else is beyond me." She flipped her over her shoulder with a small _humph_.

Miyuki giggled softly. "I'm sure she didn't do this on purpose, Toki. Besides, it's no trouble; I can do it."

"But I don't know _how_ to bake cakes," stated Kaoru, hands in his pockets as he looked to her.

"That's okay, Kaoru. I can manage by myself."

The girls were about to offer their help when Kaoru spoke a little too quickly. "No way!" He cleared his throat to regain his composure. "You're injured and anyway, we're partners, Miyuki. I'll figure it out. Where can we do this?"

Behind his back, Miyuki's friends were making dramatic faces to her which ranged from comical to full-on embarrassing. But when the boy turned to look at them, they went right back to pretending to be normal. He looked back at the black-haired girl who was blushing again. "Okay, uhm... I'm sure my sister would let us use the kitchen here for a while..." Getting hired help would defeat the whole purpose so everyone in Class 1-A had agreed earlier to do everything themselves.

"Great. We can bake them in the morning and go home after lunch, just as planned." He patted the top of Miyuki's head. "I'll see you tomorrow." He waved to the other girls who said their goodbyes too and left the room.

They waited a few seconds for him to get out of earshot before squealing excitedly to Miyuki—though he still actually managed to hear a little at first.


	10. Chapter 10 : Too Much Fun

**_[ chapter ten : __too much fun ]_**

After dinner, her friends went to their rooms. They offered to help Miyuki walk but she insisted on going to talk with Kyoya alone first. She wanted to apologize on behalf of the Kazehaya family since he was considered the representative of today's group. Well, it _should_ be Tamaki but the Shadow King seemed like the one who was really handling things.

So she limped to where she knew his room was and lifted her hand to knock on the door. What she heard then made her stop though.

 _"If you want to, you can pay me back with your body."_

Miyuki had a pretty good sense of hearing and could identify voices quite easily after hearing it long enough—one of the reasons she could differentiate the twins, maybe. The voice she heard through the door then was Kyoya's. It would make sense too, considering this _was_ his room. But those words...

She heard a cry and ruffle of sheets. Not sure what to do so she ended up not doing anything but stand there. After a while, she recognized another voice from the room— _Haruhi's_. But the way the two were talking was strange and too out of context. The longer she listened though, the more she understood.

Tamaki was upset with Haruhi for confronting those men earlier.

Because Haruhi was a _girl_.

That was mixed in with some talk about how Kyoya wouldn't do anything to hurt Haruhi because he had nothing to gain from it or something but Miyuki felt that probably wasn't what she should be focusing on. _Ha-Haruhi was a girl?!_

Before she could react though, she heard footsteps and turned her head to see Tamaki walking down the empty hallway in her direction. She didn't know why but she hurriedly ran away before he saw her.

" _Kyoya_..." Without knocking, Tamaki turned the doorknob and walked into the room. "Do you have any lotion? That sun burn is worse than I—"

Miyuki had been hiding around the corner, out of breath from the sudden run. At least, she hardly noticed her sprained ankle which either meant it was healing quickly or she had just been running on adrenaline. Her back against the wall, she slid down until she rested on the floor so she could steady her breathing. Her stamina really was terrible.

"Hello, Miyuki."

Surprised, she hurriedly tried to get to her feet which was a bad idea because she immediately fell again. Kyoya caught her, though it made her wince. He slung one of her arms over his shoulder and helped her to the ledge of a window for her to sit. Blushing, she was extremely self-conscious of the fact she was still only in a swimsuit and jacket. "S-sorry, senpai..."

"For being a bother, which you are _not_ , by the way, or for eavesdropping?" he asked way too calmly.

"How did you know?" Miyuki bowed her head.

"It only makes sense." Kyoya sat down next to her, running the fingers of one hand through his still-damp black hair. "You're out of breath, indicating you ran from somewhere, _which_ would be stupid due to your ankle. You're not a stupid girl, Miyuki, but you can be silly. Like, say, if you heard something you probably shouldn't."

The girl scratched her cheek awkwardly. "That's... an _apt_ explanation." They sat together in silence for a while before she cleared her throat. She knew he was waiting for her to say something because otherwise, he would've gone by now. "So Haruhi is a girl."

The way she said it sounded more like a statement than an answer so Kyoya knew there was no point in convincing her otherwise. He pushed his glasses up his nose. "I trust you won't tell anyone, yes?"

"I won't. _But_..." She shrugged. "I've been told I'm terrible at keeping secrets."

"No." Kyoya smirked then. "I think you'd really _try_ with this one. Even without me telling you why Haruhi is in disguise, you've already agreed not to reveal it."

Miyuki fiddled with her fingers. "Y-yeah, I don't know why." She shrugged then. Maybe she just knew there would be a good reason.

"Because you're _changing_. It's Kaoru's doing. That's what happens when you love someone."

The mention of her crush sent her cheeks flaring. "No offense, senpai, but you never knew me before," she said in an attempt to save some dignity—and _not_ make this about that auburn-haired boy.

The Shadow King smirked again. "Miyuki, I know _everyone_." Which wasn't ominous at all. Nope. "I know you used to be much too timid to even _think_ of visiting a boy at his hotel room at night, whatever the reason. _Now_ look at you." He chuckled. "Kaoru has changed you, brought you out of your shell."

"No one changed me," she insisted with conviction. "I changed _myself_. To be a better person." Whether that change was for someone else or herself was still up for debate but she refused to completely credit her newfound confidence to another person.

"Yes, I guess that's true too," he mused in reply, actually smiling. He stood. "Come on, I'll help you to your room."

Miyuki accepted his offer, not wanting to worsen her ankle. Remembering this evening's incident, she quickly said, "On behalf of my family and the hotel, I'm sorry about those trespassers earlier."

"I know." Despite his eyes remaining unreadable, the grip around her waist tightened slightly. To a third party, they might actually look like a pair of siblings with their similar features. The black hair, the brown eyes...

In fact, Miyuki kind of _saw_ him as older brother for some reason. Maybe it was how easily he read her though she was sure he was like that with everyone. So maybe it was how easily _she_ could read him too. Maybe it was both of these. In addition, despite his kindness, she couldn't see him in a romantic light, not for her anyway.

Because her heart had been with someone else for much too long to change. Even the thought of seeing him again excited her. Granted, she knew he wasn't perfect but she loved his flaws as part of who he was.

He proved his imperfection the next day. Kaoru wasn't kidding when he said he didn't know how to make a cake... Miyuki probably could've done everything faster on her own, especially since her sprain was completely better then, but one thing was for sure; she wouldn't have had as much _fun_. Even teaching him was an experience because he kept making jokes and eating all the time.

Like the first time they opened a bag of flour, the girl slipped and spilled a good portion of it on the floor, herself falling with it. Kaoru helped her up and while she washed her face, rather than help clean up the mess, he drew patterns in the spilled flour on the floor. Then when she showed him how to handle the fondant, he cut out little moustaches and the like to put on their faces—right before he ate them.

Right then, they had just put the first batch of cakes in the oven. They still had plenty more to do though. Miyuki closed the oven door and turned around to see her partner sitting on the tabletop, spraying whipped cream into his mouth straight from the can.

"I think Hunny-senpai is rubbing off on me," he told her after swallowing.

Giggling, she went over to sit on one of the bar stools. There were a few others littered around the kitchen but _no_ , Kaoru wanted to sit on the table. He was so _cute_.

They had the kitchen to themselves so there was no one around to reprimand them. Still, they kept the noise to a minimum because the hotel staff were using the kitchen right next to the one they were in.

"You're going to finish that before we even _start_ decorating, Kaoru." But she was smiling anyway. His mischievousness was contagious and she found herself picking a cherry from a bowl and popping it into her mouth.

Kaoru shrugged at her. "We can always buy more."

Miyuki shrugged too. "We don't have to if— _Hey_!"

The boy had taken the bowl of cherries from her and ate them himself. "Do we _really_ need so many condiments for a school bake sale?" he asked slyly, sliding a cherry into his mouth. "We could just eat them ourselves instead." He sprayed whipped cream into his mouth again.

"Isn't all that too sweet?"

" _Nothing's_ too sweet, my dear Miyuki." He winked then which made the girl blush which made him chuckle. "Come on, try it!"

Miyuki thought about it and then nodded, holding out her hand for the can of whipped cream. To her surprise, the boy shook his head. "Nu-uh. _I'll_ do it for you so you don't mess up. All first experiences must be good or you'll never try again. Open up!"

In a different context, that might've sounded more meaningful. He slid off the table and stood in front of her, shaking the can. The girl was a little surprised but shyly did as she was told. This close, Kaoru seemed to tower over her. He held the can above her mouth and gripped her chin lightly to steady her head.

Then he sprayed whipped cream onto the tip of her nose.

With a gasp, the smaller girl punched his arm. Kaoru was too busy laughing to feel it. Like everything else about him, it was contagious and she laughed too. She grabbed the spray can from his loose fingers and sprayed whipped cream at his face too. It wasn't much though because Kaoru swiftly grabbed her hand to stop her, laughing the whole time.

They were very close now, Miyuki realized with an accelerated heart beat. She kept forgetting to be more self-conscious around him and she hadn't decided if that was good or bad yet. _He_ didn't seem to care—or even notice, really. If she just leaned in a little, their lips could meet... She stared at his lips and _this_ , he noticed.

Kaoru stilled and waited for her to make a move. He wanted her to, _wanted_ her to take this chance to kiss him. Would she?


	11. Chapter 11 : Unjustified Jealousy

**_[ chapter eleven : unjustified jealousy __]_**

 _"What the heck happened here?!"_

The two jumped apart and turned their gazes to the kitchen entrance where Haruhi stood with her mouth agape at the scene—at the spilled flour, the stray strands of whipped cream at their feet, the cherries littering the table where they had scattered from the toppled bowl... The rest of the club were close behind her. Eyebrow twitching, she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Honestly, you rich people have _no_ idea what you're doing..." She sighed.

"What are you guys doing here?" Kaoru sounded deadpanned and only a hint of annoyance shone through.

"Hika-chan said you were making cake here!" exclaimed Hunny, wearing a cute little apron. He rushed into the room but was lifted into the air by his arms. Mori picked him up easily before he could step on the mess and settled the smaller boy onto his shoulders.

Tamaki stepped forward next, pointing his finger at them all dramatic-like. "We are here to help! It is our _duty_ to assist our fellow hosts as well as keep our clients happy!"

"I-I am not a client, Tamaki-senpai, so you don't _have_ to..." Miyuki stammered out softly.

Kaoru glared at his brother, struggling to contain his irritation. "What the hell, Hikaru?"

The other ginger raised his hands in surrender. "I just told them you were busy and _they_ decided to butt in." He glared too but at Tamaki, muttering, "You know how the boss gets."

"H-hey, Haruhi wanted to help out too," the blonde said defensively.

"Because Hikaru and I are actually _part_ of this class bake sale, senpai," retorted the girl in question, placing her hands on her sides. She smiled to Miyuki. "Could we maybe do our batch here too, Miyuki-chan? We'll pay you back, of course. I'd just rather not exhaust my own oven..."

"O-oh..." The other girl fiddled with her fingers, remembering that this "boy" was actually a girl. Wouldn't it be kind of awkward since she knew the secret? Did the others _know_ she did? It seemed not. But she was actually looking forward to spending some alone time with Kaoru. Before everyone arrived, she was actually having fun...

While she was babbling in her head, Kyoya had watched the scene in silence behind everyone else. Seeing her in awkward distress though urged him to walk towards her and he gently placed his hand on top of her head. "I'm sorry, Miyuki, but even _I_ can't stop them when they're this determined." This was spoken from experience too. He rolled up his sleeves. "It'll be fine. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can finish, okay?"

Miyuki stared up at him, fiddling with her fingers in hesitation. But eventually, she nodded. "Okay, Kyoya-senpai. I'll get the list of everything we need to get done." She forced herself to brighten up and searched the ridiculously messy tabletop for the written list.

Kaoru blinked at their little exchange, wondering when exactly they started getting so friendly. He knew the only reason this weekend getaway at Kaze Hotel was possible at all was because Kyoya made a good deal with the older Kazehaya sister through Miyuki. That was just _professional_ , right? She'd always been crazy timid so how come she was acting all— _Stop it._ He shook his head lightly, as if he could physically remove this strange feeling that way. He had no right to be jealous—which he _wasn't_.

After being given the list, the raven-haired boy fixed the position of his glasses and went over the itinerary swiftly. He nodded once and started instructing everyone what to do. It seemed... _louder_ now with so many in the kitchen but everyone worked well with each other. Miyuki helped around wherever she could but when she finally decided to take a break, she noticed something.

Hikaru was struggling with rolling out the fondant and complained. Rolling her eyes, Haruhi went to help him and showed him how to do it. Kaoru had been sitting on a bar stool across where his brother worked, saying something that made them both laugh. But there was something in that smile they both gave Haruhi.

Something that made Miyuki realize what jealousy felt like.

She had never been very sad when Kaoru was with another girl because they were usually a Host Club client and he always went back to Hikaru anyway. But that smile he gave Haruhi had a lot of warmth in it, making it genuine. Now that she knew Haruhi was a _girl_ , she realized what that smile meant. Kaoru truly cared for Haruhi—as _more_ than a friend. And it broke Miyuki's heart.

She excused herself to the restroom and cried for the first time since two years ago, since she was told that Kaoru had a crush on someone else. While she knew it couldn't have been Haruhi because she only started attending Ouran Academy this year, it brought those feelings of heartache back.

But the girl wiped away her tears, washed her face and steadied her breathing before returning to the kitchen. She kept asking Kyoya for more and more work to keep herself busy, keep her mind busy and off the auburn-haired boy. Kyoya didn't question it and complied. She was glad when they finished because she reunited with her friends and remained with them until they headed home.

Miyuki dreaded the next day because she knew it would only take a simple gesture for her to give in to her crush. Maybe even bring her walls down again with that charm of his. How did he _do_ that? It was unfair, how her feelings kept growing if in the end, they wouldn't be returned anyway. And as her partner, he would likely follow her around tomorrow because that was how he was. Sweet, amazing Kaoru...

 _Ugh._

As she expected, this did happen. Kaoru found her first thing in the morning. She had forgotten to clip her side-locks in place so they kept falling over her right eye. So _he_ had to go and be such a gentleman and help move her hair away from her face whenever this happened. And _every time_ , she stammered a thank you and blushed. Why did she have to be so weak around him?

All in all, the bake sale was a success. Students from other classes flocked to their booth and she got to see the other hosts. The fliers did good too, she'd like to think. Haruhi and Hikaru had to walk around, selling all kinds of baked goods so at the end of the day, they finally returned to the booth and that was the only time Kaoru left her side. Miyuki parted from him silently to go make sure no one forgot anything at the booth. She even had a checklist to go through.

She was checking something off the list on her clipboard when her partner crept up to her. Her had fallen over her face again when she looked down so Kaoru used a hand to gently tuck the strands behind her ear. He thought it was almost like pulling open a curtain. "Found you," he cooed teasingly. "I was wondering where you went off to."

Miyuki blushed at the tone he used. "H-hey, Kaoru." He was alone then.

He looked around at everyone cleaning up and nodded to himself. "So what you doing for summer break, Miyuki?"

Despite it being a _spring_ festival, it was always held at the end of the season and right before the term break so students had more a reason to keep coming to school rather than celebrate their holiday early. It was pretty effective, if the attendance today was any indication.

"I'm just going to help my sister out with some hotel stuff or something..." She drifted off, looking away.

Kaoru frowned at the way she answered. "Hey, you're not trying to avoid hanging out with me, are you?"

The girl's brown eyes shot wide open as she frantically replied, "N-no! Not at all!"

"Good," he said, laughing warmly. Though his face didn't change, his heart beat a little faster in his chest. "Because... I think I'll _miss_ you over the summer, to be honest." Her own heart accelerated too. Did he really mean that? They _had_ been spending a lot of time together this past week... Her lack of response made Kaoru clear his throat to break the growing silence and suggested casually, "We should keep in touch. I don't want you to forget me."

That was impossible but she nodded in reply. "O-okay..." She saw something being slid onto her clipboard. It was a piece of paper, probably torn from the edge of a larger piece, and there was a number written on it. Surprised, she looked up at the giver.

He smiled, hoping she didn't realize that he didn't have a pen with him then which meant he had likely been holding on to that for a while now. The whole day, to be exact but he decided not to mention that. "Hikaru is waiting for me so I should get to hi—"

"Wait, Kaoru!"

"Yeah?" He had been walking backwards the way he came but stopped when he was interrupted.

"What are _you_ doing this holiday?" She started fiddling with her fingers.

He chuckled. "I'm not sure yet. Bye, Miyuki."

"Bye, Kaoru..." He left and a smile grew on the girl's lips. Maybe she _could_ do this. Even if she couldn't be his girlfriend, she would rather be a friend to him than nothing at all. Even if it broke her heart, because, she realized, he had the ability to mend it all over again and _again_. And she couldn't let that go.


	12. Chapter 12 : Unexpected

**_[ chapter twelve : unexpected __]_**

Unfortunately for the two, they barely talked at the beginning of the summer break. Between being pulled to all kinds of events with her family and tiring nights, Miyuki barely found the time to work up the nerve to make use of the phone number she was given. Then again, this might just be an excuse. Every time she decided to send a text message or make a call, she was either interrupted or her courage failed her.

On his part, Kaoru couldn't very well call her himself. He gave her his number and left without waiting for her to do the same. It was up to her to make the next move. He supposed he could've asked any one of his Host Club clients for her number in case they had a mutual friend somewhere but he didn't want _more_ rumours spreading. Bad enough that they already knew of her crush on him... Maybe _Kyoya_ would have her number. It was likely but for some reason, he didn't like the idea much.

Besides, why should he? Maybe Miyuki just didn't want to keep in touch with him. That was a paranoid and unlikely reason, he realized, because he _knew_ she liked him. She was probably busy. _Yeah._

Unless she moved on.

The Hitachiins' summer wasn't as filled and the most notable thing about it started when Tamaki called them way too early one morning to panic about Haruhi being kidnapped or something because he couldn't reach her. Kyoya easily diffused the situation by explaining her whereabouts—Karuizawa. Somehow, the whole Host Club found themselves there and competing for the only empty room left in the Bed and Breakfast where Haruhi worked for her father's friend. The twins won that one but the others were expected to pop in nonetheless.

It was hard to shake them off.

When Kaoru woke up the next day, he found himself on the floor so Hikaru had to spend the next hour apologizing. The best part? They were sure they passed an empty-looking room on their way to the dining area downstairs. They made a mental note to ask the manager about that since Misuzu _did_ say there were no other rooms available—this could save Kaoru a lot of pain. They'd slept in the same bed before but never one so small. And they wouldn't need to get another bed from their family cottage in town.

They would soon find out, though, that the room was reserved for a certain Kazehaya.

While the twins and Tamaki were lounging in the dining area that morning (much too early for the other hosts), Haruhi had to go do a chore for Misuzu. It was just as well too because right then, Miyuki walked in through the entrance. The cute little sundress and cardigan she wore were in direct contrast to the two intimidating men in suits who flanked her sides. "Try not to attract too much attention," she whispered to them with a soft giggle.

Misuzu rushed to welcome them. He was a man in a dress but one couldn't really tell under that thick layer make-up. "Hello and welcome!"

"Hi. I have a room reserved under _Kazehaya_?" This made the hosts in the room turn their heads in time to see the young girl smile and bow politely. "My sister made the arrangements. I'm Miyuki."

"She must be that vacant room we saw, Kao," Hikaru mused in a whisper.

The pension manager nodded and then looked pointedly at the two tell men behind his guest. "Uhm, will _they_ be joining you, miss? I only reserved the one room for you." He pointed at them, not sure if he wanted such scary people around the place. They might scare away customers! But he didn't want to upset the sweet little aristocrat either...

Miyuki giggled. "They don't talk much so I doubt they'll be very good company. No, I'm on my own here." She turned around to face her bodyguards. "Alright, I got here safe. You can leave the bags here."

The two men looked at each other and then nodded, setting their young boss's luggage down next to her before leaving in a limousine. Miyuki was about to pick up the bags when Misuzu lightly slapped her hands away. "Oh, don't you _dare_ , dear! I'll get someone to bring these up and show you to your room. _Haru_ —"

 _"No!"_

It was Misuzu and Miyuki's turn to look surprised. They looked to the source of the chorused outburst and Miyuki turned bright red in two seconds flat. Before either had a chance to react, the twins went over and picked up the bags.

"I mean, don't worry about it!" Kaoru insisted on her left, his voice sounding almost panicky.

Hikaru stood on her right, lifting a duffle bag easily. " _Yeah_ , we can take these for you. What are friends for?"

That last sentence got the pension owner excited. "Oh! How refreshing! You know each other?" Not that she was so surprised, considering both families were quite well-off. It would make sense they were in the same circle.

Tamaki put an arm around the black-haired girl, laughing not very casually. "The twins and her are in the same class at school. Isn't that right?"

"That's right," they agreed together.

Miyuki pulled away from the embrace and stared at them, her confusion taking over her embarrassment for a moment. "Wh-what you are guys doing here?"

"Vacation," Hikaru answered and his brother added, "What _you_ doing here, Miyuki?"

"Uhm, _business_ , actually..." She drifted off and shifted her weight onto one leg somewhat awkwardly.

The pause lasted quite a while before Tamaki hurriedly ushered them away. "Now, now, enough chatting! You two help Miyuki settle in and catch up and stuff..."

They did just that, despite Miyuki still being very much confused by the suddenness of things. As soon as he was sure they were out of ear shot, the blonde took that opportunity to explain to Misuzu just what was happening. He explained how at school, Haruhi was posing as a boy to work off a debt to the Host Club so everyone else, including the Kazehaya girl, still thought she was a boy (as far as Tamaki knew anyway).

Miyuki's appearance was unexpected but now that she was here, they had to keep her from finding out the secret.

Of course, if he had _known_ she already knew the truth, they wouldn't have gone through so much trouble. But he didn't. And when the three hosts relayed what happened to the others, Kyoya didn't correct them. In fact, he stayed strangely silent, not that anyone noticed. Haruhi suggested they just tell Miyuki to avoid the hassle. Tamaki still considered her his little princess so that was out of the question for him. The twins didn't help either when they stated how Miyuki couldn't keep a secret—which Haruhi couldn't deny. Hunny could go either way and Mori would always follow his lead.

Kyoya _considered_ telling them. But then Tamaki made a decision to task someone with keeping watch over the unexpected guest, making sure she didn't find out. And who else would be better for the job than the Hitachiins? This. _This_ made Kyoya decide not to say anything after all.

The boys in question blinked. "Why us?"

"She likes you," Mori said simply.

An excited gasp escaped Hunny who started singing cheerily. "Kao-chan and Miyuki-chan sitting in a tree..."

"He's right," Kyoya finally agreed, fixing his glasses with a secret smirk. "You'd make the perfect distraction."

Haruhi looked to the stairs. "Where is she anyway? What if she just walks in on our little meeting?"

"She's taking a nap." Hikaru waved his hand dismissively. "We've got time. Anyway, I don't think I like this idea. She's in love Kaoru... why do _I_ have to get dragged down with him?"

"Gee, thanks, brother," the other twin muttered sarcastically. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, thinking about it. "Miyuki said she's leaving in two days..." He sighed again. "Alright, _alright_. I think I can do this on my own—it's only two days. All I have to do is keep her away from Haruhi, right?"

Tamaki snapped his fingers in approval. "Right!" He patted Haruhi's head. "Don't worry, princess, daddy will take care of everything."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you're _not_ my daddy?!"

 _"Haruhi!"_ rang a singsong voice.


	13. Chapter 13 : Summer Loving

**_[ chapter thirteen : summer loving ]_**

Kaoru actually had a pretty tiring day by the time the evening rolled around. Granted, his twin was quite worn out too but they had spent a big part of the day being apart. An old male friend of Haruhi's came by earlier and seeing them get along sparked jealousy in Hikaru though he wouldn't admit it. And then, to try and fix things, Kaoru pretended to be his brother and apologize to the boy. Haruhi saw right through it though which reminded him why Hikaru and he probably developed some feelings for her.

Yeah, he knew they both did. Kind of. He wasn't sure yet how he felt about Haruhi—nor about _Miyuki_ , to be honest.

Anyway, it didn't matter because his brother would always come first. Kaoru even asked Haruhi out only to make _them_ spend time together—it made sense in his head anyway. Ask Haruhi to go on a date with him, pretend to get sick and make _Hikaru_ go in his place instead at the last minute.

And he _still_ had to keep Miyuki distracted for the rest of the day! The boy had yet to come up with an actual plan to make sure she didn't see Haruhi who would be working around the pension but decided he'd figure something out along the way... He knocked on the door of the room he remembered helping her settle into earlier that day. "Miyuki? It's me, Kaoru." Through the door, he heard something like papers ruffling and then a muffled thump, followed by a small cry. A smile crept to his lips.

The door sprung open, revealing the black-haired girl in a sweater and pajama bottoms. "H-hi, Kaoru."

"Hey." Restraining his smile to a casual one, he gave her a once-over. "You're not going to have dinner?"

Kaoru himself wore a pair of knee-length cargo pants and a jacket over his t-shirt. Very stylish, very handsome, she noted with a blush. She fidgeted, bowing her head. "Uhm, _no_... I'm still tired from the traveling so I thought I might just eat in my room tonight." The admission seemed to embarrass her a little. Eating alone at a Bed and Breakfast _was_ kind of sad, she guessed.

But it was like a light bulb went off in the other's head. If she just stayed in, she wouldn't bump into anyone, right? He smiled. "Mind if I join you?" The look of surprise he got implored him to elaborate— _untruthful_ but an elaboration, nonetheless. "Hikaru's in a bad mood so I'm trying to give him some space to cool off. But it's fine if you'd rather—"

" _No!_ " She blushed brighter. "I mean, uh... I don't mind. Er, come on in." Miyuki let him into the room and awkwardly closed the door behind him. She started to clear a table when he stopped her, noticing something about the papers on it.

"Are you... doing _homework_?"

"Y-yes..."

The boy couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "Seriously? I thought you were here on _business_? If you're ditching that, wouldn't you rather relax instead?"

She smiled shyly. "Well, I'm actually supposed to look around town and report back to my sister if I think it'll be a good idea to open a hotel here but I figured I could do that tomorrow since I have two days and I didn't really get the chance to study so f—"

"Okay, okay!" Kaoru rolled his eyes in an amused manner. She started to clean up again but he pulled her hands away. "It's alright. We can sit on the floor instead. It'll be fun! If you don't mind, of course." He released his grip on her.

Miyuki shook her head and she called to have food sent to the room. That got a little difficult halfway when she noticed Kaoru taking his jacket off, probably without realizing how flustered it made her. At least she got her words through...

Thankfully, when the food came, Misuzu was the one who brought it. Kaoru made sure to be the one to take it before they opened the door, just in case, but it made the pension owner confused—right before he waggled a finger at him, tutting playfully. Kaoru closed the door and joined the girl on the floor again, digging in to the food almost immediately. Across from him, she wasted no time too.

A few bites in however, Kaoru couldn't resist asking, "So how come you never called or texted me? I gave you my number for a reason." Although he chuckled nonchalantly, he was everything but.

"O-oh... I just got busy. The grand opening of the hotel in Okinawa and stuff... A-and I didn't want to bother you."

If it had been any other person, he might've thought they were making excuses but Miyuki wasn't that kind of person. She had always been so genuine with everything she did. One of the reasons she was such a bad liar, he figured. So he smiled, believing her. "It wouldn't bother me, Miyuki. I was actually looking forward to hearing from you."

The girl smiled back, feeling warmed by his words. "Maybe after I leave Karuizawa then." After receiving a nod, she lowered her gaze to keep her eyes on the food. She was having dinner with her crush alone! It almost felt like a _date_. "H-how long have you been in town, Kaoru?"

"Uhm, we got here a day before you did, actually. But we're staying much longer than two days. It's nice here."

"Oh, have you looked around?" This was good. Keep the conversation flowing...

"Nope. _Uhm_..." Kaoru paused and looked at her; she looked back, waiting. A plan was forming in his head. He had to keep her distracted tomorrow too. He originally planned to follow his brother and Haruhi around, make sure neither messes everything up. But that would involve discretion so being caught would require a good explanation. What if... "Miyuki, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?"

He breath caught in her throat—that _and_ the water she was swallowing. She coughed but recovered quickly, rubbing her chest lightly. The boy was halfway through reaching out to her in concern but then settled down. He was about to ask if she was okay but she spoke first. "D-do you mean that, Kaoru?" She coughed a little bit more again before peering at him carefully.

"Of course."

 _Silence._ He waited for her answer and she waited for him to burst out laughing. But he didn't. So she answered, "O-okay..."

And that was how Hitachiin Kaoru asked out two girls on two dates in one day. He had explained his intricate little plan to the rest of the Host Club the next day and though Tamaki objected at first, his heartwarming speech about his brother changed his mind—reluctantly. The others were a little more accepting. As soon as they made sure Haruhi and Hikaru were going to go through with their "unplanned" date, Miyuki showed up. She had uncanny timing, that one.

She had put effort into her look, unlike last night, but Kaoru decided she looked great either way. For the date, Miyuki wore a pretty skirt and an oversized shirt. She had braided her side locks and tied them at the back of her head. Kaoru wasn't too bad himself though she probably wouldn't have the guts to tell him. He was very casual, as always, but it worked for him—as always.

"You l-look nice, Kaoru..." she blurted when they saw each other. _Well_ , look at that. She said it.

"So do you, Miyuki." Kaoru winked, making the girl blush as he knew she would. The other hosts had the sense to make themselves scarce but they heard the two alright. He knew they could so he was caught somewhere in between being nicer than he usually was around them and trying to act as if nothing was different to him. But there _was_ something different.

Her fingers fiddled with each other. "So what do you want to do first?" she asked nervously but there was excitement in her brown eyes.

Despite his initial intentions, he was on a real date, his _first_ one, admittedly. It was with someone he actually liked too! Just like what was happening for his twin. Speaking of which...

Smiling, the boy nodded his head in the direction the other pair went and held out a hand to his date. "Come on." After a bit of hesitation that lasted only a second, Miyuki stopped fiddling her fingers and placed her own hand onto his open palm. He closed his fingers around hers and they started walking down the streets of Kyu-Karuizawa.


	14. Chapter 14 : Dates

_**[**_ _ **chapter fourteen : dates **__**]**_

It was an enjoyable evening. Miyuki had a blast but then again, she supposed any time spent with her crush would be so. Someone once said to never meet your heroes—something about seeing their flaws or ruining the pedestal you put them on or something—but the longer they were out together, the happier she felt. He seemed a little distracted though...

He was, actually, but not really in the way she thought. In his opinion, _she_ was the one distracting him from his original plan. Kaoru wanted to keep an eye on his brother and Haruhi but his focus kept going back to his own date. At first, he tried to lead her to wherever the other pair went which confused Miyuki considerably. Why did he insist on going to _that_ particular store and then rushed her out of there?

Despite this, they had a good time and the lapses in concentration became fewer and further in between. Eventually, they lost Hikaru and Haruhi altogether. When he realized this, Kaoru gave up on following them and decided to leave it to the other hosts—before noticing that, unless their stalking skills were suddenly superb, _they_ weren't around either. He wondered if he should try and find his brother again. What if Hikaru was being a jerk?

"Kaoru?" He blinked, returning to reality. The black-haired girl was standing a few feet in front of him, peering at him curiously. They had been queuing up at a food stall but when she moved up the line, he hadn't followed her. Good thing there was no one waiting behind them. "You look worried... Is it Hikaru?"

"Nah." He smiled at her concern. Maybe this was _his_ chance to have fun too. He walked towards her further up the line. "What do you want to do after this?"

Miyuki thought about it, lifting her gaze to the sky—which wasn't as blue as it was earlier. "Should we head back? It might rain."

The boy looked upwards too. It wasn't that clear but it wasn't really _cloudy_ either. He shrugged and moved his eyes back to his date. "I'll take my chances." A thought struck him then. "You keep our place in line, Miyuki. I want to go get something." Without waiting for a reply, he went off.

With a soft sigh, she waited where she was in the line, moving up when the person at the front got their food. The stall must be quite popular because not much later, a man queued up behind her before Kaoru even returned. She looked around the quaint market for tourists. _Nice place._ Opening a hotel in the town might be a good idea after all, as long as it wasn't too extravagant. She'd like to see the serenity of Karuizawa preserved.

It was while waiting in this line that she heard familiar voices growing louder, indicating their approach. At first glance, she thought it was Kaoru but then there was a pretty girl next to him. Then she thought it was Kaoru with some other girl who started to look more and more like Haruhi as they got closer. _Then_ she realized the different clothing that meant it was _Hikaru_ with a dressed-up Haruhi. Was that a wig to make her hair look longer? With a shriek, Miyuki rushed to duck behind the stall next door.

The pair walked past without noticing her, walking slow enough for her to decipher that they were on a date. Just like _she_ was. Her mind whirled. Did Kaoru know they were here? Was he _following_ them? It would explain why he was so distracted... And people only looked worried when thinking about someone they cared about so was that _someone_ Hikaru or Haruhi for him?

Was _that_ why they were on this date at all?

"Uhm, Miyuki?" The girl jumped, turning to face the source of the voice. Kaoru quirked an eyebrow and laughed a little. "Why are you hiding here?"

She stood properly in a hurry and smoothed the front of her skirt sheepishly. "N-no reason. But, uh, I think we should go back now. I th-think it's going to rain soon." Unexpectedly, she took his hand and started to lead him in the opposite direction she saw the other go in. She didn't want to think of them right then, didn't want to risk bumping into them, didn't want to ruin what had been so far, an _amazing_ day.

Kaoru, though confused, went along with it. Once he got over the shock, he sped up a little be in step with the girl and shifted their hands into a more comfortable position. With a blush, she realized they looked a lot like a couple with their entwined hands but when she looked at him, he only smiled.

And how could she resist smiling back?

He was glad when she did because he got a little worried a few minutes ago. Now he was sure they were okay, he pulled out a small paper bag from his pocket. "I got this for you." He held it out to her, shifting their arms again to simply link so both her hands were free.

Miyuki carefully took it from him and poured out the contents onto one palm. It was a hair clip. Quite a pretty one at it too and it was decorated with a single silver piece that was shaped into a small snowflake. She looked at the boy who appeared to have pink-tinted cheeks.

"Since you have ' _yuki_ ' in your name, I thought something snow-related would be nice. You've probably heard all that before. Sorry..."

She shook her head. "No, it's... it's great. I love it." As if to prove it, she clipped the piece of accessory into her hair, the silver colour standing out starkly against the black strands. "Thank you, Kaoru."

Was it just her or did his smile grow just a little bigger? It hardly mattered because a second later, he frowned and then looked at the sky. Clouds. _Dark_ clouds. Then Miyuki felt raindrops on her head too. Her hand was grabbed and after a tug, they started running the last few metres back to the Bed and Breakfast.

"I told you it was going to rain!" she couldn't help remarking, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the downpour.

Kaoru laughed over his shoulder at her. "You're bringing that up _now_?"

Finally, they made it onto the roofed patio where they immediately shook off what rainwater they could. Shivering, the girl twisted the fabric of her skirt to squeeze out as much rain as possible. She was panting by then but found the breath to say in amusement, "Seemed a good time as any."

Kaoru followed her lead and shook his head vigorously so water flew off his hair, spraying his date on purpose which made them both laugh. Miyuki turned to the sliding doors then and started to open one before a hand was placed on hers to stop her.

"Wait." They looked at each other. There was a hint of mischief in his eyes. "You know, our date would end once we step inside."

The word didn't faze her anymore. Miyuki laughed, stifling it with the back of one hand. "I think it ended once the weather changed, Kaoru."

"No. Not yet." Kaoru shook his head but lightly this time, that bright smile still on his face. The people on TV had it right. There was only one way to conclude a good date. It was a good date, indeed. _She_ was a good date. Feeling brave, he leaned in and placed his lips on hers. After getting over the surprise, she leaned on her toes to deepen the kiss and smiled beneath it.

Then they pulled apart. Despite it being completely chaste and innocent, both had flushed cheeks and shy smiles graced their features. Neither said a word and when Kaoru spoke, he stammered at first. He didn't say anything about the kiss they had just shared though but he didn't need to. "A-alright. You can open the door now..."

And _that_ was the beginning of the end because, as they would soon learn, all secrets had consequences.


	15. Chapter 15 : Downhill

**_[_** ** _chapter fifteen : downhill _****_]_**

The minute they walked through the door, Misuzu rushed to them with a stack of towels in his arms, saying how he thought he had heard voices outside and gotten towels and... well, they didn't listen much after that. They weren't allowed to move from where they stood until they dried themselves—no need to clean up an unnecessary trail of rainwater. A sudden force crashing into her made Miyuki stumble back but Kaoru caught her before she could fall. She smiled at up him before he let her go so she could steady herself. It was Hunny who caused this, almost tackling her in a hug.

" _Miyu-chan!_ I'm so glad you're okay," he exclaimed, finally letting her go. Behind him, Mori nodded to acknowledge their presence.

Kyoya stood from the table where he sat, judging them from behind his glasses. "That was silly. Why didn't you take a cab home?"

For a moment, Miyuki worried they knew about what had happened just seconds ago on the patio but realized quickly that the door wasn't see-through. Seeing Kaoru start to dry himself off with the towel, she did the same. She was careful to remove her new hair clip before drying her hair, tucking it into her pocket. "Sorry. We were already on our way and almost here when it started to pour." Then she froze. She looked around carefully. "Uhm, you're all here..."

"Club retreat!" Tamaki swung an arm around Mori who barely reacted, laughing more than a little nervously. "Nothing like a trip to strengthen the bond between hosts! Karuizawa really makes a good getaway."

Kaoru deadpanned. _Yeesh_ , he was reactive than usual. He seemed kind of on edge—

"Where are Hikaru and Haruhi?" asked the girl, noticing their absence. A second later, she remembered the time she saw them at the shopping streets earlier. Could they _still_ be out there?

Kaoru looked around too in confusion. As if on cue, lightning flashed then, surprising everyone in the room. "Check out that lightning," he murmured, a feeling of dread creeping into him.

Peering out the window, Hunny said what was on all their minds. "I sure hope those two didn't get stuck in the rain..."

"They're still out there?"

The fact that Miyuki said the word " _still_ " didn't register—yet—in their brains as the hosts look to Tamaki, expecting to think up an answer on the spot. An suspiciously _fake_ answer but an answer, nonetheless. But the blonde boy was pacing frantically too much to hear the question in the first place. Misuzu looked concerned too. "Tamaki, dear, _please_ try to calm down."

"I-I should go look for them," he suggested, trying and failing to act nonchalant.

Kyoya was about to point out that that would be unwise when the phone at the front desk rang. Misuzu answered it. It seemed like any normal phone call at first but that was _before_ she said the names of the missing hosts. Everyone else tried to listen in to the conversation but the rain outside was enough to drown out the voice on the other end from eavesdroppers. Kaoru felt the dread grow within him.

Then Misuzu hung up and immediately relayed what she was told. Apparently, Hikaru had left Haruhi at her friend's family store to head back on his own but she went after him. That was the last of their known whereabouts and shortly after, it rained. He had called only to make sure they had made it back alright. Tamaki acted quickly, pulling out his phone to call Hikaru. He didn't waste any time before scolding the boy the second he picked up.

"You _idiot_! Turn around and start looking for Haruhi right now! What kind of gent would leave a girl out in a thunderstorm all by herself? Now you listen to _me_ , Haruhi is terrified..."

Worried as he was, Kaoru noticed how he had said "girl" when referring to Haruhi. He quickly turned to look at Miyuki to see her reaction. But she was only watching with the same expression as before, simple concern. Maybe she didn't hear. But then Misuzu said to them softly, "I hope that little girl is alright out there." Miyuki nodded then and he realized she _did_ notice and just like how she could tell he knew of her confession, her lack of reaction to supposedly new information told him this information was _not_ at all new to her after all.

Tamaki ended the call and silence grew in the room before Kaoru spoke. "Miyuki... you _knew_? You knew Haruhi is a girl?" The host leader nearly choked on air at hearing this. What a way to blow their cover! He wanted to step in and laugh it off or make an excuse to protect his little princess's secret but Miyuki's answer made him halt.

She had jumped slightly at suddenly being addressed but turned to face Kaoru, fiddling with her fingers. "Y-yes..."

The others changed their focus onto the pair, all but Kyoya surprised with the development but for some reason, not didn't say anything. Maybe, like anyone else with half a brain, they could read how the mood of the room was, how Kaoru's dread changed into anger. His hands clenched into fists. "Can we go talk in private, please?"

Something about his dangerously calm voice made her nod though it scared her. Eyes on them, they went up the stairs silently and into Miyuki's room. Maybe because it was closer, neither knew why since they didn't actually discuss it. They must've looked odd, two damp teenagers in a room but they didn't talk about that either. Kaoru closed the door behind him and got straight to the point. "Why didn't you _say_ something?"

"I didn't think it was necessary," she answered honestly, confused with the tone in which she was being spoken to. But as with a lot of situations, reasons that come _after_ the damage was done would simply sound more like excuses, even if it were the truth.

"It _was_ , Miyuki!" he finally burst, his emotions getting the better of him. When was the last time he actually got sincerely angry with someone? "Hikaru and Haruhi would be safe if you just told me you had known the whole time!"

Miyuki frowned. "Wh-what— why are you blaming _me_?" The stammer wasn't due to nervousness though. Being accused didn't sit right with her. This _wasn't_ her fault. She didn't even think to explain how she had only known since the end of school and not at all any further than that.

The boy looked fuming. This _was_ her fault. If she had said something, this could all have been prevented. He was helpless now and it was _her_ fault. His brother and his friend were stuck out _who knew where_ and Kaoru could do nothing about it! He threw up his hands in exasperation. "If I had _known_ I didn't need to babysit you all day to distract you so you wouldn't find out. You already _knew_! I could've followed them instead and made sure everything was okay—"

"I knew it." Utter hurt shone in her brown eyes. Her voice rose with every word. "You used me as some... _cover story_ so you could keep tabs on them!"

Kaoru was in no mood to explain how his intentions changed quickly early on in the date but he _did_ say that, except it was in the worst way possible. "And I _could've_ if you weren't so distracting." In any other context, this might've been romantic.

"Oh I'm sorry you didn't get to stalk the girl you're so in love with but you asked _me_ out, remember, Kaoru?"

"Only to watch over people I care about. Second of all, I'm not _in love_ with Haruhi."

The black-haired girl scoffed, laughing without humour. " _Please._ "

"Well, if you really think that way, you must be even _more_ desperate than I thought to go out with someone who likes someone else, Miyuki." He said her name with so much menace, it hurt.

"My mistake." Her eyes started to sting but the tears had yet to fall. He was such a liar. A liar and a _jerk_! "For a moment, I thought you might like me too. It's no wonder you make a good host."

Kaoru shook his head, his blood still boiling. Subconsciously, he realized this was getting out of topic and, more importantly, out of hand but he was running on adrenaline and emotion now and _they_ wanted truth to spill now more than ever. But it was too late. It was like a snowball of hate, rolling down a hill too fast to be stopped.

"You're _way_ too easy to fool. You haven't changed at all in two years."

She glared and insisted, "I _have_." Kyoya said she had and she believed him. She saw it herself too and she thought it was a _good_ change. No more that timid self, it was time to fight her battles. "If you're bringing up that confession letter, I _swear_ —"

"I am. You're as gullible as ever. But you probably don't know that because you _still_ don't realize it!" It was his turn to laugh. "The one who met you in the hallway? That wasn't Hikaru. That was _me_. That was me, rejecting and testing you and you couldn't tell. I bet you _still_ can't. You're just another desperate girl who fell for a Hitachiin. I've met many more." He leaned closer menacingly. "You say you've changed. So tell me... which one is _Kaoru_? How can you tell?"

Miyuki looked him dead in the eye. "Get out." Her voice came out soft, almost inaudible. But as her vision started to get blurry, she yelled at him, "Get _out_!" Her heart was beating so fast, she feared he might hear it.

The boy frowned and after a second, walked out of the room wordlessly. The door slammed behind him.


	16. Chapter 16 : Rational

**_[_** ** _chapter sixteen : rational _****_]_**

Kaoru didn't go back downstairs to wait with the others. Knowing they'd probably ask him all about his little "talk" with Miyuki, he opted to just go to his room instead to avoid that. He didn't want to think about her, and he didn't really. He took a long hot shower, changed into boxer shorts, and then curled up under the covers of the bed. All the while thinking about Hikaru and Haruhi and how they were stuck outside somewhere and how he could do nothing about it and how he was not there with his brother right then.

Despite being kicked out of it yesterday, he remembered sleeping in the same bed as his twin. He clenched that space now. The Hitachiins were as close as two could get though not to the point of incest, unlike what some might think—and hope. One hot angry tear rolled off the side of his face. They'd been apart before but _never_ had they not told each other where they would be so he had never experienced worry like this. Not knowing. Not helping.

He only realized he fell asleep when someone woke him up, shaking his arm. Light brown eyes peeled open to meet a mirrored pair. " _Hikaru!_ " With a cry, he threw his arms around his brother who was sitting at the edge of the bed. Pulling away a second later, he smacked the back of the Hikaru's head. "You idiot... What happened?"

The other shrugged. "I left. I didn't think she'd come _after_ me. But I found her... we waited out the rain before getting a cab." Indeed, the storm outside had calmed to a drizzle. It was late evening. Hikaru shrugged again. He hadn't changed out of his clothes from the date and they were still kind of damp. But _this_ was more pressing, he figured. "I heard I wasn't the _only_ one who had an eventful day." He gave a knowing smile.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Miyuki."

"Oh. It didn't work out." Kaoru looked away.

The fact that his brother had tricked him into a date with Haruhi—whom he was pretty _sure_ he had no feelings for whatsoever—was overshadowed by the fact that he went out too on his own date before it turned into a disaster. He leaned back until he was lying down—across his twin's stretched out legs, no less, but Kaoru didn't seem to mind. "What's up? I thought _I_ was the emotional one," he pointed out, smirking.

The other boy glared. "I wasn't being _emotional_ , Hikaru. You worried me. I should've followed you guys like I planned."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I had to babysit _Miyuki_!" he snapped, angrily. "Or, at least, she led me to _believe_ I had to."

"Hm, I guess we _are_ cut from the same cloth." Hikaru wasn't smirking anymore, realizing this. His brother behaved the same way he did when he got angry. Granted, Hikaru got angry more often than Kaoru so it was more obvious on him but... If today was any indication, Kaoru was no better. "You realize you didn't mean most of what you said, right, Kao?"

Damn it, was he taking _her_ side?! "And how would you know?"

"Because we're the _same_ , Kaoru! I know you keep telling me we're different and, I guess, we are but not in this sense." He had sat back up when he said this and the two boys stared each other down. Finally, Hikaru broke the silence. "You got scared, just like I would if something were to happen to you and I wasn't there. Then you found someone to blame."

Kaoru halted and something changed in his eyes. Now that the haze of anger was gone, now that he was sure his brother was okay, he thought about it. He thought about it _real_ good.

Down the hallway, a similar conversation was about to take place in Miyuki's room. She had decided to eat in her room again and ordered for food to be sent up to her room. Then she too took a hot shower and dressed for bed, planning to go to sleep right after her dinner digested properly. That couldn't go exactly according to plan though because when she answered the knock on the door, she saw that Kyoya was the one who brought her food up.

She frowned. "I know you don't _work_ here, senpai, so you must be here to talk."

"Good guess." Then there was that smile again, the one that never really reached his eyes. "May I come in?"

With a sigh, she took the food from him and stepped to the side so he could enter before she closed the door behind him. Kyoya seated himself and stretched his legs out before him. The girl had to step over them to get to her desk and sat on the chair, turning it so she could face him while she ate. "Did Hikaru and Haruhi make it back alright?" She started to eat.

"Yes."

"Thought so. You guys were pretty loud in your welcoming—especially Tamaki-senpai." She rolled her brown eyes. _Whoopee_ , everything was suddenly okay as long as the girl everyone loved was okay. This reverse harem thing was really starting to get to her.

It was Kyoya's turn to frown this time, fixing his glasses. "Don't do that. Jealousy isn't a pretty look."

"I'm not jealous," she insisted.

"You are, Miyuki." His usual cool tone had dimmed slightly but now it returned. The finality with which he spoke made it hard to argue. "When did you figure out he was following Hikaru and Haruhi?"

The girl shrugged. "Towards the end of the date, I suppose."

He paused. "I didn't say anything when you first walked into the B&B because I knew you would be getting a chance to have Kaoru to yourself, if only to distract you... And by not saying anything when you found out, you _took_ that chance. You _were_ jealous, the moment you found out Haruhi is a girl and saw how Kaoru cared for her. You saw the chance to experience that attention and you took it."

Miyuki frowned. There _may_ be some truth in that but... "I thought you're supposed to make me feel better, Kyoya-senpai." It would be kind of mean if he did all this just to prove to her that she was in the wrong. It was kind of like what she overheard him do with Haruhi that day at the hotel.

The raven-haired boy chuckled. "I'm trying to _solve_ the problem—more of a long-term thing. Not that short-term comfort is pointless... But that's not my forte. You should call your friends for that."

The younger girl paused and looked down at her food. If her hands had been free, they'd probably be fiddling the fingers. "Do you think I was wrong?"

"Maybe."

"Kaoru's not completely innocent either! If it's _my_ fault for distracting him because I wanted his attention, then it's _his_ fault for keep me on his hook for so long!"

Kyoya smiled. "There you go." There was something in that smile... as if he had planned this all along, as if he knew how the conversation would go, as if he _knew_ it would lead to this conclusion. Miyuki blinked at him. He may be able to read her well but she guessed she could read him too. He was right and he knew it but he giuded her to think it up herself.

And she couldn't decide if she was glad or upset by it. He stood and gently patted the top of her head twice. "Call your friends, Miyuki. Good night."

"Good night, Kyoya..."

With that, he exited her room, sure he had done what he could for those two. The whole group had heard the muffled argument through the door since they weren't exactly _quiet_. So when that ended and Kaoru never rejoined them downstairs, and when Haruhi and Hikaru _finally_ returned, they decided who should talk to whom. A group confrontation would've felt like an intervention, as Kyoya had pointed out before volunteering to speak with Miyuki.

But one can only calculate so many steps ahead. Kaoru had actually been walking down the hallway then, debating whether to apologize as per discussed with his twin, when he saw a certain bespectacled boy close the door to Miyuki's room behind him. Kaoru quickly turned and walked the other way.

Maybe he _wasn't_ needed after all. So why embarrass himself further?


	17. Chapter 17 : Middle Ground

**_[ chapter seventeen : middle ground ]_**

Miyuki did contact her friends that night. The whole gang started a Skype call and they talked most of the night away. Everyone was spending their summer differently, it seemed. Toki had to follow her parents to an auction but sneaked out into the hallway to talk with her friends. In Paris, Akira was at a cafe by herself when they called. Misako had a good time right here in Japan but maybe _too_ much because her parents had recently grounded her—she didn't want to talk about it yet.

Misako's parents had always been the old-fashioned type, not allowing their children to do a lot of things though she disobeyed them constantly. It reminded Miyuki that everyone had their own problems. It felt good to talk with them again.

When she finally felt comfortable enough to tell them what happened—the gist, anyway, because Haruhi's true gender was not her secret to tell and she didn't really want to ruin the Hitachiins' reputation—she had a good cry and her friends were completely on her side, even when they made no sense. They didn't need to. Sometimes, all one needed was unconditional support.

When Akira, admittedly the most emotional of the group, started crying, they discussed something else to cheer each other up. This continued even when Toki's butler came to get her because there was _no way_ , she told him, she was going back into that boring stuffy room. They did end the call eventually, of course, but only as Misako started to nod off. The four said their goodbyes and hung up.

Miyuki flopped onto her bed right after, trying her best to sleep. She thought it would be difficult but her tired mind and body actually accepted sleep easily.

The next morning, she did her morning routine swiftly because she knew someone would be at the Bed and Breakfast early to pick her up. _So_ early, it was, that she didn't cross anyone but Haruhi and Misuzu when she went downstairs to wait. There were concerned expressions on their faces. Haruhi spoke first. "Are you okay, Miyuki-chan?"

"Yeah." That was a lie. But she knew she would recover after an appropriate amount of time—just not yet. Smiling, she bowed to the pension owner. "I had a lovely time here. Thank you, Sonoda-san." The only problems she had here were purely personal, after all.

Not much later, she had to leave but not before seeing Kaoru at the top of the stairs. They locked eyes for a moment, neither knowing what to say if anything at all. He noted the silver snowflake hair clip in her hair. Next to him, Hikaru paused and looked between them. Wasn't his brother supposed to talk with her last night like he said he would? And didn't Kyoya speak with Miyuki? It didn't look like there was any difference...

Finally Miyuki looked away and walked out the door.

Confused, the older twin turned to the other. "Kao—"

"Forget it, Hikaru."

He would've said Kaoru was being stubborn but there was something in his eyes told Hikaru not to push the matter. And that was the last anyone said anything of it for a very long time. Both parties kept the incident in the back of their minds and things gradually got back to normal, or at least as normal as things go with Suoh Tamaki around.

Even when a new semester started again at school, it seemed like the whole thing never even happened. Granted, Miyuki and Kaoru rarely crossed paths before anyway but now they subconsciously avoided each other. _Yes_ , Miyuki too because despite agreeing with Kyoya and feeling better, she didn't want to be the first to give in. Too much pride was a deadly thing. Not many people sensed the tension between them but it was _desperately_ obvious to five certain people in Class 1-A.

It had been a little over a week when, during recess, the Hitachiins were walking down a hallway and a voice stopped them. _"Kaoru! Hikaru!"_ They stopped and turned to see Toki running towards them.

She finally reached them and spoke between pants, looking panicked. "It's Miyuki. Y-you have to come quick!"

"Where is she?" Kaoru asked worriedly, not needing a reason.

"In class—"

Immediately, he ran back in the direction they had just come from. Hikaru and Toki followed behind him but he left them in the dust—not that he noticed. Other thoughts occupied his head. Was she alright? She looked okay the last time he saw her which was barely a few minutes ago! _Did something happen to her?_ Thankfully, the class wasn't too far away so he reached there quickly. "Miyuki!"

The girl stood from her seat abruptly as soon as she saw Kaoru who rushed into the otherwise empty classroom and stopped before her, panting.

"K- _Kaoru_?" Confusion and surprise etched her face.

"Are you okay?" He finally regained his breath and looked up at her, the worry clear in his hazel eyes.

Miyuki's eyebrows knitted together in the middle. _What?_ "Uhm, yes... Are you?"

"H-huh?"

The verbal confusion made them both look up, eyes meeting for the first time since her final morning in Karuizawa. That was when they heard the sound of a lock clicking into place. Their heads turned. Outside, through the windows, they saw Hikaru, Toki, Akira, and Misako waving innocently to them. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. Walking over to the window, Kaoru groaned. "Hey, let us out!"

"Not till you two talk!" Akira exclaimed, close to tears already.

"What the _hell_ , Hikaru?!"

On the other side, looking like a mirror image, Hikaru snapped back. "We had to do _something_." Two days ago, he had approached one of Miyuki's friends about the problem. Toki thoroughly agreed with him and got Akira and Misako in on the plan. Hikaru didn't think to involve Haruhi and it was a good thing too because, though neither knew this little detail, she was indirectly part of the problem.

Two days after this little conspiracy was formed, they put their plan into action.

Kaoru was about to retort when Miyuki finally spoke up. "It's okay, Kaoru. I have the class key."

"No, you don't," replied Toki in a singsong voice.

She felt her pockets and after a moment, groaned too. _Damn it._ "This isn't funny!" That and any protest after from both trapped people were met with silence as the others simply walked away. Finally, Miyuki sighed. "They can't keep us in here forever. Recess will be over soon so they'll be back." She noted the other's still somewhat laboured breathing and quirked an eyebrow. "Erm, why are you out of breath?"

Reluctantly, Kaoru gave up too and turned his back to the window. He went to sit near her and she sat again too. They could wait _a little_ while, right? "I ran here."

"Why?"

"Toki-chan got me worried about you." The admission came out smoothly, not realizing the effect it had on her.

The black-haired girl had blushed slightly. "Oh." Was this like when he thought his brother (and Haruhi) was missing?

There was an extremely long pause before Kaoru finally said something. He knew he had to eventually. "I'm sorry." Recent events—the last few minutes, specifically—made him realize he did indeed care deeply for Miyuki. He wouldn't have ran all the way here if he didn't give a damn about her well being. "I shouldn't have blamed you for what happened with Hikaru and Haruhi that day."

"Th-thank you." She breathed in and out steadily. "I'm sorry too, for accusing you of using me." Her fingers fiddled with each other.

The boy rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Uhm, it did _start_ off that way, actually... But I really do like you, Miyuki." He looked her in the eye when he said this, wanting her to see he was being sincere.

Miyuki couldn't help but smile, her heart fluttering at his words. But then the corners of her lips dropped just a little. "But you like _Haruhi_ too..."

"That's _not_ the reason I wanted to follow them that day!"

One hand stifled a giggle. "I know. You're too passive for that."

"I just _care_ , okay? I wanted things to go well between them." He shrugged.

"I know," she said again but with hint of sadness. "But you still like her, don't you, Kaoru?"

Kaoru looked down now, unsure. "Maybe... She was the first person who could tell Hikaru and I apart, with a reason."

They paused again but there seemed to be unsaid words hanging in the air. He was waiting, he wanted her to say _she_ knew how to tell the twins apart too or that this ability meant nothing or something like that. But when she spoke, it was none of these things, "Look, that _is_ special, I won't lie. _I_ can tell which of you I'm talking to but I can't give you an explanation. It's just... a gut feeling, I guess."

"Oh."

"I get it. Haruhi's great."

"She is."

"I still love you." Their hearts beat faster. "I have been for a while. I don't _want_ to be but..." Miyuki put a hand over her heart.

Kaoru looked sad, leaning forward in his chair. "I don't want to lead you on anymore. It's... it's not _fair_ to you! I still have to figure out my feelings."

Her breath caught in her throat but she gave a shaky sad smile. "Then I'll wait."

Before he could change his mind, he pulled the girl into his embrace and after a second of hesitation, her shoulders relaxed and she hugged back. Neither knew if this was made the situation easier or just more difficult. But he _did_ care about her, that much he knew. She may find it hard to let him go but the feeling was mutual...

Then the bell rang.

And the door unlocked.


	18. Chapter 18 : Torn

_**[**_ _ **chapter eighteen : torn **__**]**_

They parted before anyone came into the classroom. Recess had ended so people streamed in steadily, not thinking much of the fact that four people seemed to be standing guard at the door at first. Kaoru and Miyuki were at their own seats by then, his brother and her friends sitting with them respectively.

"How did it go?" asked Misako warmly, sympathy in her eyes.

Miyuki tried to smile but when her voice came out, it cracked slightly. "Okay, I think."

Akira threw her arms around her friend, hugging tightly. " _Oh_ , Miyuki-chan, I'm sorry we locked you in! W-we jus—"

"No, it's fine, Akira," she assured, peeling the other girl off of her. "I'm... glad you did. Kaoru and I are friends again now."

Knowing how truly deep her feelings were for the auburn-haired boy, they knew she wanted to be _more_ than just a friend to him. Who wouldn't? Three years was a lot of time to invest in a single person. After making sure her friends understood she didn't want them being angry or upset or anything with Kaoru, they accepted her decision. A teacher entered the classroom then and classes resumed, everything else following its lead into normal.

At one point, Miyuki turned her head to look at Kaoru once and their gazes locked. She smiled. He did too but it didn't reach his usually bright eyes and he looked away right after, staring out the window. He was confused by himself and he hated it.

Why was _he_ being sad? Everything was resolved, right? He was given the time to figure out how he felt about the two girls whom he liked. Both seemed like they weren't going anywhere—Haruhi because she was just clueless about boys in general and Miyuki who said she'd wait for him. Okay, maybe it was the latter that bothered him. It was kind of _cruel_ to keep her on his hook... But he didn't want to lose her, either! It was all just awkward and messed up now...

Despite wanting things to be very casual between them, neither could deny the tension and maybe that was why they continued to stay in their separate worlds. Again, they realized just how different their lives were. If it weren't for that project last semester, they might've never crossed paths. To actually find the get the chance to interact, they would need intention which they didn't have. Neither _intended_ to be in an uncomfortable situation.

It didn't take much avoiding. The only time the two were in close proximity was in class anyway. They almost forgot what it was like to have the other in their presence, rather than just their thoughts. It was a shame because all it would take was just one encounter for things to resolve properly.

Thankfully, that encounter came about another two weeks later.

Miyuki entered Music Room 3 silently, hoping not to draw attention to herself like last time. Her eyes scanned the room. Club activities must not have started yet because there were no girls, only the hosts. They had just put on their costumes for today theme—spies? Business? _Formal_? She couldn't tell. They were all wearing classy suits... The club president was the first to notice her appearance and stood from the couch, smiling.

"Hey, look," he said to Kyoya who was nearest to him at the moment. "Miyuki's here. I'll go get Kaoru."

He started to walk but the shadow king stopped him. "Don't bother, Tamaki. She's here to see me." He knew this because the girl had asked him yesterday if she could take a look at his last year's accounting folio. Every high school first year had to do it so she wanted to see his as an example. Kyoya stood and walked over to her.

Something felt off... Tamaki watched them talk from where he was, their words inaudible to him. Then he turned his gaze to where the twins were fixing their ties in front of a mirror—one of them anyway. Kaoru was peering at Kyoya and Miyuki too before turning away. Curious, the blond walked over to them. "Miyuki's here," he told them.

"Oh." Only Hikaru looked up. "We should go say hi, Kao."

"Nah. She looks busy."

Right at that moment, Kyoya nodded to the girl and walked away to get the folio she wanted. Miyuki waited patiently, seating herself at table he usually worked at. Tamaki smirked and pointed out in a teasing voice, "Not anymore."

Kaoru looked up too then but then sighed. "Look, I don't want to, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, he gave up on his tie and plopped down onto one of the couches tiredly.

Tamaki turned to the remaining twin, an eyebrow quirked in confusion. "Mind filling me in on what's going on, Hikaru?"

Unlike Miyuki, Kaoru had told his brother and confidant everything there was to know. They just didn't keep things for each other; that and there was no need to anyway since both knew all the details—even the part about Haruhi now. The only part Hikaru left out as he updated his boss was the name of "the other girl". Tamaki didn't seem to mind. To him, that wasn't the important part. The _important_ parts of the story were what irked him and he called Kaoru over to one end of the room where Miyuki wouldn't be able to see them and too far for her to overhear.

The younger twin groaned but obeyed, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he approached. His shirt wasn't tucked in and frankly, he looked kind of messy. A _casual_ kind of messy that might appeal to the clients but _messy_ nonetheless and that meant his head was out of the game. _He_ was a mess. "What?" he grumbled.

"What were you _thinking_?" the blonde snapped immediately which surprised the other boy and it showed. "What kind of gentleman leads a girl on like that?"

Understanding the context, Kaoru frowned but it wasn't an angry one. If _Tamaki_ thought he wasn't treating a girl right, then he wasn't treating a girl right. The boss was good with things like that. Still, he tried to defend himself. "I'm not. Miyuki _knows_ how I feel."

The older boy groaned. "You idiot! If a girl is foolish enough to wait for someone as long as she has, that someone must have the basic human decency to _stop_ that. Anyone _worthy_ of that kind of love wouldn't keep Miyuki waiting! You make your choice now, Kaoru, so she can make hers." Tamaki may not realize it but he had good points. And despite the hosts making fun of him for thinking of the Host Club as a "family", he did behave like they were one.

"But I-I don't how..." The admission was a sincere one and it showed in the pained look in his eyes. He was torn.

"You can't stay in between forever, Kaoru. And deep down, I think you _do_ know." Kyoya was walking past them at the moment but Tamaki stopped him. If he went over there, Miyuki would leave too. They needed to settle this _now_. Kyoya looked at him in confusion but read the situation swiftly. He waited at the sidelines patiently with Hikaru.

The blonde put his hands on Kaoru's shoulders, looking him firmly in the eye, almost like a father would. The passion with which he spoke made his voice rise steadily. " _Who_ do you always think about? Whose side do you want to be by so much that seeing her with someone else makes you jealous? Who do you think about when you're happy? And when you're _upset_ , who do you go to? Who can distract you from anything else because they matter most? Who stole your heart and you're fine with it because you'd _give_ it to her anyway? _Who do you keep coming back to?_ "

 _Miyuki._ The answer to all of those was the same. Kaoru knew that, no doubt about it. But was it really that simple? What about _Haruhi_? She was different too. But Miyuki... He turned his head to see her frowning at her watch, probably wondering why Kyoya was taking so long. _Waiting_ , like how she promised she would for Kaoru too.

"Kaoru." Receiving no response, the blonde sighed and returned his hands to his sides. "If it's that other girl, _tell_ Miyuki. So she doesn't waste her time any longer. But if it _is_ Miyuki, go after her! Feelings can grow and fade but right now, I know _her_ answer would be you. To share the same feelings as someone else? It doesn't get any better than that. You're _damn_ lucky to get this chance. Don't waste it."

After a second, the auburn-haired boy looked back at the others, at last. "So what do I do? Just _crawl back_ to her?" There was a new determination in his eyes.

Tamaki smirked, knowing what this meant, and became more of his usual haughty extravagant self. _That_ didn't last long, Kyoya noted mentally, but it was long enough. "I always find that a somewhat... grand gesture works best." He winked.


	19. Chapter 19 : Tell Me

**_[_** ** _chapter nineteen : tell me_** ** _]_**

He couldn't believe he was actually doing this...

Kaoru turned on his heel to face the direction in which Miyuki was in, still waiting patiently at that table. He looked over his shoulder to where Tamaki gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up, Hikaru's eyes held quite a bit of amusement and Kyoya watched with that eerie smile of his. _Were they being_ serious _?_ In his hand, he held a single red rose which they plucked from one of the vases in the room. His tie had been fixed on for him which made him look classier but all these little details made him feel a little uncomfortable. Especially that dramatic script the boss planned out for him.

Nonetheless, he didn't know how to handle these things himself and Tamaki _had_ been pretty on point, so far...

Kaoru walked over to where Miyuki was, his palms sweating and heart racing. But outwardly, he was the epitome of calm, as usual. He made sure he was smiling before tapping the girl's shoulder. She turned her head and gave a smile. He walked around from behind her and she turned slightly in her seat so they met somewhere in the middle, facing each other.

"H-hi."

"Hey." He cleared his throat and then held the flower out to her, saying in a tone he had heard Tamaki use with all his clients, "For you, Miyuki."

The girl took the rose, looking a somewhat amused. "Uhm, is this from Hikaru or Kaoru?" Sincerely, she wasn't sure. Her instinct told her this was Kaoru but he hadn't even talked to her in a long while so this _could_ be Hikaru instead.

A sharp pain shot through his heart. Was she joking or could she really not tell? He laughed it off though. "Take a guess, beautiful."

"I'm guessing neither then." She lowered her gaze but he could still see a hint of sadness in her brown eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Quickly, she lifted her head and smiled but he could tell it wasn't sincere. "This seems like more like Tamaki-senpai's move if he wants to sweet talk a girl. The rose, the pet name, the _charm_... He's big on that stuff."

A laugh escaped the boy, his nerves calming a little. "Is that so? And what would Kaoru and Hikaru do?" he asked, amusement finding its way into his tone as he debated abandoning the initial plan.

Miyuki looked upwards slightly, tapping her chin in contemplation. "Hikaru would do that _Little Devils_ act, I think, but probably only after a lot of pushing from someone else. And Kaoru would probably wait till he can be alone with the girl first since he's more subtle." She nodded to herself, not realizing she pretty much told him a way to differentiate them. Granted, it couldn't be done immediately but...

"Which one am I?"

She frowned and muttered, "I don't want to play that game..."

"No, _please_ ," he almost pleaded. He needed to test something out. Not _her_ , but himself—based on how he felt about her answer. "Humour me."

Miyuki sighed but didn't really need time think about it. "I think _you_ are Kaoru."

His breath caught in his throat but he forced himself to speak without showing too much of a reaction. "Why?" he asked softly.

She scoffed then, her fingers fiddling with each other. If her side-locks hadn't been held in place by that snowflake hair clip, she would've used it to cover her face. But she was past that stage. She shrugged. "A gut feeling," she told him again.

"Because the thing is, Miyuki... I'm starting to think that _that_ 's a pretty good answer, actually." Wasn't it great that someone could tell it was him based on feeling alone? It was actually kind of sweet... and amazing. He smiled.

"I don't want you to like me based on my answer, Kaoru," she said softly, daring to say his name because she was sure now. That was why he liked _Haruhi_ , right? Because she gave a good answer? Miyuki didn't want to be liked because she was the same as someone else. If she didn't believe that, she would've accepted the confession from "Hikaru" two years ago. What would be the difference?

Kaoru shook his head, that excited smile still on his lips. "I don't. _I_ —" Damn, his happiness was making this _talking_ thing a little difficult. "Okay, how are you so sure you like me so much, Miyuki?"

Blushing furiously, she blinked at him. "I-I don't _know_... You're always on my mind, I guess? Like... sometimes, in class, my thoughts would randomly go to you which is really distracting, actually, but I can't turn to look at you because I always sit in front and turning would be kind of awkward and I didn't want you to think—"

"Okay, okay." He laughed kindheartedly before stopping with a slight blush as well. "Well, it's the same for me. But in my case, I _can_ look at you in class without drawing too much attention."

The girl paused, looking up at him. Then she stood so her neck wouldn't hurt so much; it seemed like this was going to take a while. "Kaoru, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying... I keep thinking of you too. I finally figured out my feelings. It took a while, I'm sorry, but I get it now. You... you don't have to _wait_ for me anymore." He took her hand, the one that wasn't holding the rose and she let him. "I'm _saying_ I really like you too. I don't know about love, not yet, but I'll take my chances... And I think we have a pretty _good_ chance, Miyuki."

She was wrong, this didn't take a while at all but it _was_ a good thing she stood then because Kaoru took that chance to kiss her. He wasn't worried if she wasn't sure about him anymore or if she just didn't believe him or anything like that. Because when you had a real connection with someone, you just _knew_ —a gut feeling. And he was right, if her kissing back was any indication.

" _Yay!_ " a cheer sounded, making them jump apart.

They almost forgot about the other hosts in the room... By now, Haruhi, Hunny and Mori had joined them. The smaller boy had been the one to let out the cheer. Hikaru sighed at the interruption, muttering something inaudible to him. Tamaki rushed towards the pair excitedly, the whole group following calmly behind him.

"Good job, Kaoru!" he congratulated, hands on his hips as he nodded approvingly at them. "You make papa proud."

The ginger deadpanned. "No thanks to you, boss. Miyuki saw right through your plan from the beginning."

Tamaki choked dramatically, clenching at his chest as if an arrow was shot through it. The older twin jumped at the chance to poke fun at their over-reactive club president too. "Well, _of course_. Everyone knows the boss's plans never work." He stood by his brother's side, as was his usual position. But he knew they wouldn't be spending all time together anymore. Not yet though— _gradually_. Miyuki wasn't cruel.

Speaking of whom, she giggled then and sneakily held Kaoru's hand again. "Not _never_ , I'm sure, Tamaki-senpai. But I like Kaoru the way he is."

"Are you sure?" asked Haruhi, only half joking but in good nature.

"Very sure." The other girl felt her hand being squeezed. The two smiled at each other shyly. Starting slow wasn't an option, it seemed.

"Good," was all Mori said about it but the corners of his lips had curled upwards slightly.

But Haruhi wasn't done yet. "Does this mean Kaoru won't be a host anymore?"

"Why wouldn't he?" Hikaru asked, frowning and furrowing his eyebrows.

Miyuki turned to him and tried to be comforting. "Th-that's okay, Hikaru... I think I'll be fine. It takes _a lot_ to get him to develop any feelings for anyone, I should know, so I'm not worried." She laughed somewhat sheepishly about this since she was speaking from experience. But it made Kaoru laugh too and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek.

Hunny clapped his hands enthusiastically.

"Yes, but... should he _really_ be flirting with other girls if he has a girlfriend? What would the clients think?"

That brought a pause of silence upon them. Haruhi had a good point... The girls might ask this same question and there wasn't really an answer that wouldn't make them all feel _at least_ just a little angry. Miyuki was torn too. She thought she would be okay with it but if the situation was as stated...

It was Kyoya who put their minds at ease. "It's _not_ that difficult, really," he said calmly, fixing his glasses on his face. "As it is, the twins don't quite flirt with the clients much anyway so Kaoru can avoid doing that. Their almost incestuous act, which is the main play of the package, is more for show and entertainment than interaction. In fact, now that Kaoru has a girlfriend, their relationship would be even more "forbidden", so to speak." He patted Miyuki's head gently, contradicting his collected tone.

"This _is_ if you two are okay with it, of course," Tamaki interjected. He didn't want to lose a host but he didn't want his friend to lose a love either—not after _he_ put them together!

" _I_ am," Kaoru was quick to answer, casually pushing the hand off Miyuki's head. The gesture was kind of amusing, making Kyoya smirk and chuckle softly. Kaoru looked to the girl in his arms who was already looking back, a surprised smile on her face. "How about you, Miyuki?"

"Me too." She nodded firmly before looking down, blushing. Her fingers fiddled together. " _But_ , Kaoru... Am I really your girlfriend now?" she asked somewhat nervously.

The other shifted so they faced each other properly. "Uhm, do you want to be?"

"Yes..."

The effect was immediate, his smile brightening. "I want that too." Unable to resist it, he leaned down and kissed the girl for the second time that day. There was a mix of cries, ranging from cheers to disgust. But the new couple was currently too happy to care.


	20. Chapter 20 : The Beginning

**_[ chapter twenty : the beginning ]_**

"Look, Kaoru. She's there."

Kaoru stopped leaning against the window and turned his body to look. There, one floor down at the courtyard but still under the shade of the school building, was a girl. She was just standing there, leaning against one of the columns. She was waiting for someone, they both knew, waiting for one of them.

"You're right, Hikaru." He nodded.

The twins made their way downstairs, parting at one point. Hikaru went somewhere else while Kaoru went towards the girl, a folded piece of paper in his pocket. The note she had put in his desk in class. She didn't notice him at first, still smoothing out the front of her cream school dress. She was fixing her black hair when she finally realized his presence. "Hey." Her heart beat faster, a smile spreading across her features.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting." He gave a warm smile and added without waiting for a response, "I read your note."

"Kaoru—"

"It's _Hikaru_ , actually."

The girl blinked and then deadpanned. "Liar. I know it's you, Kaoru."

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug. "Right again, Miyuki!"

Leaning up, she kissed those lips she loved so much and received an immediate response. She was the first to pull back though. "So how about it?" There was an excited look in her eyes and she was practically bouncing on the tips of her feet.

"You mean this?" The boy pulled out the folded note from his pocket with one hand, holding it up with two fingers, while the other remained curled around his girlfriend. "I think the water park would be a _lovely_ first date."

" _First_?" she echoed. Miyuki titled her head in confusion. "What about the one we had in Karuizawa?"

He shook his head. "I want a do-over."

"Too bad. I kind of liked that one."

"Despite how it ended?"

"It _ended_ great, with our first kiss. You said so yourself," she reminded, the memory making her smile warmly. "It ended when we walked through the door. Despite what happened _after_ , I liked that date."

Kaoru kissed her forehead. "Me too. I'll make this one better, Miyuki, I promise." Finally, they parted and started walking down the hallway, hand in hand. "Why the note though?"

She shrugged. "I didn't want to ask in front of everyone else." They had been together for about a week now and almost everyone knew about their relationship by then, but they had yet to have an actual date as a couple. Miyuki had decided to ask her boyfriend out but wasn't comfortable doing it in front of an audience yet. _Eventually_ , probably, but not yet. So she put a note in his desk when everyone had gone to recess, suggesting her idea.

"Good. I don't want anyone else imagining you in a swimsuit before I saw that myself." He squeezed her hand.

"But you _have_ , Kaoru," she pointed out, pouting slightly. "Remember Okinawa? Don't tell me _that's_ getting a do-over too..."

The auburn-haired boy laughed. "Nah. But now I get to call you mine while you wear it."

"You're contradicting yourself. You don't want people thinking of me wearing a swimsuit but you kind of said you also want to show me off so—"

"Shut up," he told her before grabbing her by the waist and twirling her around, making her cry in surprise. It swiftly turned into laughter though as he started tickling her. When he finally stopped, she stifled her giggles with the back of her hand. He could be childish sometimes and she may overthink things... but as Kaoru hugged Miyuki tightly to him, they both knew they wouldn't like it any other way.

Though that didn't stop her from saying, "You can be so silly sometimes." They pulled apart and she started fixing her black hair. All that twirling had messed up its neatness. She removed the silver snowflake hair clip from her dark hair and smoothed down the strands.

"Let me, Miyuki." Reaching out, Kaoru took the clip from his girlfriend's hands and gently lowered them. He fixed it back into her hair and admired the deep brown eyes he cherished. And Miyuki felt the same about his eyes. At first from afar, now from up close.

 _ **[ end. ]**_


	21. Short Story : Happy Birthday

_[ In celebration of Kaoru and Hikaru's birthday, I wrote up a short story for them!_ _^^ ]_

* * *

 _ **[**_ _ **short story : Happy Birthday**_ _ **]**_

As per usual, the Hitachiin twins entered their classroom and went straight to Miyuki's table. This had become somewhat of a daily routine now, despite the reactions it elicited from everyone else. Never mind how giggly it made Miyuki's friends who immediately parted from around the black-haired girl to make way for her boyfriend. Never mind how quiet it made Hikaru.

The older twin didn't mind it all too much—this was just a pit stop before they went to their usual seats. So he let his brother have this lovey dovey time with his girlfriend before class would start while Hikaru lingered next to him and waited for it to be over. Sometimes he chatted with anyone nearby, sometimes he didn't.

"Hey, Miyuki," Kaoru said with that ridiculously bright smile he always had whenever he saw her. Since she was sitting, he had to lean down to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. Rising, he smiled to her friends. "I hope we're not interrupting anything."

Toki, Akira and Misako didn't hesitate to give a chorus of, _"Nope. Go ahead. Interrupt away!"_

The shy girl blushed from both the affectionate and the prospect of the teasing she knew she would endure once Kaoru and Hikaru left. Then she looked up suddenly as if she remembered something. "Kaoru, can we go on a date tomorrow? After your host duties, of course," she inquired, sounding excited.

The corners of Kaoru's lips dropped slightly, not enough to be noticed by someone who didn't pay close attention. "Oh... actually, Hikaru and I have things to do tomorrow. How about the day after next?" He reached out to hold her hand.

"O-Oh, okay." Miyuki nodded and squeezed his hand gently.

Hikaru watched the exchange in silence. A thought crossed his mind but before he could work up the will to say it, someone cleared their throat behind him. He turned. " _Haruhi_ , hi!" With a newfound smile, he stopped leaning against his classmate's desk.

The other ginger smiled too. "We should head to our seats now. I'll text you tonight, Miyuki." He leaned down to kiss her cheek again but she turned her face at the last minute so his lips landed on hers instead. He rose, looking a little surprised but chuckled at the shy smile the other wore. She did that on purpose.

"See you, Haruhi!" the two boys said simultaneously before walking away. Haruhi smiled and waved to them, settling into her own seat next to Miyuki. The other girls bid them goodbyes as well before converging to greet Haruhi next.

 _ **[ — ]**_

Hikaru didn't mention that thought of his until later that night as the brothers were going to bed. At least, _he_ was. Kaoru was sitting at the edge of the bed, messaging his girlfriend on the phone. Standing at the entrance of their bathroom, Hikaru watched him. The phone buzzed, Kaoru pressed on a button, and then smiled to himself.

"Let's go to bed already," Hikaru grumbled, walking over and then starting to crawl under the covers. "I can't sleep with the lights on."

"Alright, alright..." Despite saying that, it took another five minutes before Kaoru finally put down his coral-coloured phone. Lying down, he pulled the covers over himself. "Hey, so what shall we do tomorrow, Hikaru?"

The older twin paused, remembering what he wanted to say earlier. "Maybe you should go on that date instead."

" _Hm_? But it's our birthday."

"Yeah, you didn't tell Miyuki, did you?"

Kaoru shrugged. "I don't want to make a big deal out of it. Besides, we always spend our birthdays together." He grinned calmly, eyes already falling half-lidded.

But Hikaru knew how in love those two were. He knew his brother probably _did_ want to spend his birthday with Miyuki, maybe just as much as he wanted to spend it with Hikaru. He felt his heart clench. Was he kind of cockblocking his brother?

"What?"

Kaoru had always been good at reading people and he noticed immediately that his twin had something on his mind. Feeling guilty but trying to hide it, Hikaru smirked. "You said it yourself, we spend all our birthdays together. Go and spend this one with your girlfriend."

It was the younger's turn to pause. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Hikaru turned over onto his other side. "Night, Kao."

"Night, Hikaru." Was it just him or did Kaoru sound secretly happy then?

The younger fell asleep before the older and when that happened, Hikaru was still quite wide awake. He heard as the other's breathing slowed considerably. When he was sure Kaoru was asleep, Hikaru sat up in bed. He sighed.

He reached over his brother's sleeping form to grab the coral-coloured phone. Tiptoeing to the bathroom, he pressed on a button to see the time. It was late. But he took his chances and called Miyuki anyway. Thankfully, she picked up.

 _"Kaoru?"_ her groggy voice sounded at the other end of the line.

"It's Hikaru, actually."

 _"O-oh."_ There was a ruffling before she spoke again. _"Why are you calling me on_ Kaoru's _phone?"_

"I didn't have your number." He smirked audibly. "I'm kind of surprised you'd wake up to answer his call though, Miyuki. You must _really_ like him."

 _"H-hey, Hikaru-kun!"_

Her embarrassment showed in her tone. It made the other snigger. "Relax, forget the honorifics. Anyway, you know what tomorrow is, right?" he asked nonchalantly, leaning against the sink.

 _"Your birthdays,"_ she said without hesitation. _"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to try and interfere with your plans."_

"Yeah, well, whatever. I told Kaoru to spend it with you instead."

"What?"

Hikaru rolled his eyes. Why did she have to be so nice? It made it difficult to be angry with her for taking his brother away from him. "Look, I get it. With school and everything, after club activities is the only chance you two get alone time. _I_ see him all the time."

 _"Are you sure?"_

" _Seriously_ , you and Kao both? Yeah, I'm sure." He actually chuckled a little then.

Miyuki giggled with him and said with unhidden cheeriness, _"Th-thank you, Hikaru."_

"Tsk, whatever. Night, Miyuki."

 _ **[ — ]**_

The next day, the couple didn't get to talk before class started so Miyuki decided to give the present when recess rolled along. "Happy birthday, Kaoru!" she said when she rushed over to his desk right after the teacher left.

The boy in question looked surprised but it was a pleasant feeling. _She knew!_ "Thanks, Miyuki." He stood and pulled her into a hug. She broke their embrace to give him a kiss which he happily returned deeply.

Hikaru at the table next to him deadpanned. "Get a room, you two."

Blushing, the two pulled apart. "Happy birthday to you too, Hikaru. I, uh, made you guys a cupcake." She had kept her hands carefully behind her the whole time but she held them out now, a small circular cupcake in her grasp.

Kaoru took it from her, smiling down at it nostalgically. It looked just like the ones they made for the bake sale that had brought them together.

"I didn't know what you like, Hikaru, so I hope you don't mind vanilla with _a lot_ of whipped cream." She giggled, cheeks pink. "Kaoru likes whipped cream."

The older Hitachiin quirked an eyebrow. "It's for me too?"

"Yeah, of course."

He murmured a thank you while the younger twin split the cupcake in half, handing one portion (the one with less whipped cream) to his brother. "Happy birthday, brother!"

"Hm, happy birthday, Kao."

They ate at the same time, looking even more identical, Miyuki noted. Kaoru ended up with some whipped cream at one corner of his mouth which she pointed out with a giggle. He reached up to clean it but Hikaru grabbed his hand suddenly. He gave the younger a sly look. "Let me," he said lowly as he used his own finger to wipe off the cream which he then licked off with his tongue.

Immediately, excited cries from their watching fangirls erupted. Things along the lines of _"Did you see what Hikaru did?!"_ and _"And right in front of Kaoru's girlfriend too!"_ could be heard.

Miyuki was blushing at the scene she just witnessed (and the reactions around her) but her smile was more amused than awkward. Playing along, Kaoru looked away. "I have to go now, Hikaru... I'll see you later."

With a sad sigh, the older ginger released the hand. "Later." He nodded to Miyuki and went to where Haruhi was rolling her eyes at them.

Kaoru, on the other hand, grinned brightly to his girlfriend before leading them out of the classroom. They chatted the whole way to the fountain which had somehow become their unspoken spot in the Academy.

When they sat down at the sides of the fountain, he asked, "So what do you think we should do today, Miyuki?"

"What do _you_ want to do, birthday boy?"

He thought about it. "Hm, I don't know. Hikaru and I usually just wing it." He let out a chuckle.

Strangely silent, the black haired girl took a bite of her onigiri. He could tell she wanted to say something and after she swallowed, she did. "Maybe you _should_ hang out with him today, Kaoru. You share the same birthday, after all."

"Hmm," Kaoru hummed aloud thoughtfully before breaking out in wholehearted laughter. When he finally finished, he pretended to wipe imaginary tears from his eyes. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you _both_ don't want me around today."

"Huh? Th-that's not what I meant at all!" she protested.

But Kaoru wasn't done with his train of thought, tapping his chin. "My brother wants me to spend this day with my girlfriend and my girlfriend want me to spend it with my brother!" He laughed again.

Miyuki blushed at the attention he was drawing to them. "You guys are so close. I don't want to steal you away from him or something..."

"No one is stealing me from anyone." The boy stroked the other's black hair gently. "I'm seeing you after club activities today, okay, Miyuki? No arguments. There's a new Italian restaurant I want to try out."

 _ **[ — ]**_

Miyuki made her way to said restaurant right after school club activities that evening but to her surprise, a different auburn haired boy was waiting outside. "Hikaru?" she called out hesitantly as she neared him.

Hearing his name, the boy turned around with an expression of surprise. " _Miyuki_? What are you doing here?"

"Kaoru said to meet here. And you?"

A hint of annoyance made its way onto his face. "Tsk, not _this_ again... Hey, how'd you know it was me anyway?"

The small girl played with her fingers, making him notice the two flat boxes in her hands. "Kaoru doesn't usually wear bright colours," she answered, glad that her gamble paid off.

"Hey, guys!"

They both turned to the source of the voice to see an identical ginger racing up to them, a phone clutched in one hand. "Sorry for the wait. I—"

"He forgot his phone in the car so we had to get the driver to come all the way back here so he could get it," Hikaru explained for his brother, if only to get to his own point faster. "Just what are you trying to pull here, Kao?" he asked snippily.

The younger twin smiled innocently but he knew better. After all, this wasn't the first time Kaoru tricked him into doing something. Confused, Miyuki looked between them. "H-hey, if you forgot our plans, it's okay, Kaoru. We'll just see each other another time."

"No way!" he quickly replied, looking as calm as ever. Standing between them and facing the restaurant entrance, he swung an arm around his brother's shoulders and the other around his girlfriend's waist. "I want to spend today with my two favourite people, not either one."

"I'm not sure if this is a good idea," Hikaru muttered somewhat hesitantly.

Miyuki shifted her weight, adjusting the boxes in her hands. "Yeah, Kaoru. You had plans with Hikaru first so I understand."

With a groan, Kaoru released them both so he could face them. "That's the thing. You both want me to spend time with the other because you know I want to. Well, don't make me choose—ever. Let's just try and spend today with the three of us. It might be a little awkward since you two haven't really hung out before but we all have to start somewhere. Please? It can be my birthday present." He made a pleading face, knowing he'd already won them over.

The girl exhaled, fiddling with her fingers and turning to the older twin. "Well, I'm willing to if you are, Hikaru."

How was he supposed to deny _that_? Whatever, it wasn't like he had different plans anyway... "Alright," he consented.

"Well then, if that's your birthday present, I guess you don't need _this_." Waving the boxes in her hands, she smiled innocently.

Kaoru's eyes widened excitedly. "No fair! I didn't think you got me anything." He reached around her to make a grab for the presents.

"Of course, I did."

After a bit more of teasing back-and-forth between the couple, Miyuki finally gave one box to her boyfriend who immediately tore through the coral-coloured wrapping and opened the box. The wrapping ended up in a nearby trashcan. Hikaru rolled his eyes, watching his twin with an amused smile. "Couldn't you wait till we get home?"

"Oh!" Miyuki cried, remembering him. She almost forgot, seeing how cute Kaoru was. She handed the other box, wrapped in light blue, to the other birthday boy. "I wanted to ask Kaoru to pass it to you but since you're here..." She shrugged, blushing a little.

Still mildly in shock, Hikaru took the gift from her. Since his brother had already gotten a head start, he unraveled his present as well. Right then, Kaoru pulled out a dark red hooded sweater from his box. He chuckled. "We're nearing summer though, silly!"

"It's actually thin enough to be worn in any cool weather," Miyuki told him, reaching out to feel the material demonstratively.

The older twin was opening his box while the couple interacted. Inside the box was another piece of clothing but different. He pulled it out. It was a navy blue jacket with white lining which was very nice and stylish, admittedly. It also wasn't something _Kaoru_ would wear.

"Do you like it, Hikaru?"

The voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Hikaru looked at the bright and slightly nervous face of his brother's girlfriend. His brother himself was pretending to fold the sweater but Hikaru knew Kaoru was listening. Said sweater looked nice too but it wasn't something Hikaru would wear. Either Miyuki got lucky or she really did think their presents through. Speaking of which, she didn't have to get _him_ a gift too... But she did.

"It's great, Miyuki," he answered honestly, smiling smally. "Thanks."

The black haired girl breathed a small sigh of relief. The boys repacked their gifts into the now-unwrapped boxes and they headed into the restaurant with Kaoru in the lead. He had to be. Both these people cared for him deeply and he never wanted to ever choose between them. Life would be a lot easier if they got along just fine. The problem was that Hikaru was too stubborn to do something different and Miyuki was too shy to take the initiative. So what was he to do?

In addition, he knew he had been drifting apart from Hikaru bit by bit since he got into a relationship. The Hitachiins used to spend all their time with each other, inseparable. Kaoru wanted to be independent but he didn't want to completely lose his twin. And he was serious about Miyuki too.

So the younger ginger got them a table for three in the not-so-busy restaurant and set the two gifts on the floor under the table. Since it was just the three of them, it was impossible for one not to sit next to the other two—not that they considered it. But no one could deny the slight awkwardness in the air.

They placed their orders and were served a small basket of garlic bread while they waited. Kaoru pulled it to him immediately and started to chow down.

His older twin wrinkled his nose at the sight. Normally, he wouldn't be so disgruntled but maybe this whole situation was making his meaner side come out. "Hey, share some, would you? That's for us too," he remarked sarcastically.

Miyuki spoke up with slight sheepishness, "No, I'm okay. Kaoru knows I'm not a fan of garlic bread. You go ahead, Hikaru."

Hikaru looked at her. "You don't like garlic bread?"

"It's always been too _garlic-y_ for me," she answered awkwardly, fiddling with her fingers on her lap.

The younger boy paused long enough to say, "Hikaru's always thought so too. Look at that, you two have something in common! Besides _me_ , of course."

"Really?" Miyuki looked confused but then covered her mouth with a hand to suppress a giggle. "But Kaoru told me you both _love_ Italian food!"

Hikaru made a face before smirking, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his seat. " _Yeesh_ , Kao, you talk about me to your girlfriend? That's a little weird." Receiving a groaned out retort that sounded like, _"Whatever!"_ he chuckled. "Well, can't be as weird as your appetite, I guess. Honestly, do you have a stomach or an _abyss_?"

It was the girl's turn to laugh, this time more openly. "He should've seen you that day back in Okinawa." She turned to Hikaru. "Kaoru was eating all the condiments the whole time we were making cakes for that bake sale." She laughed again at the memory, feeling more at ease.

"Trust me, I know _all_ about how much my brother can eat, Miyuki. It's a miracle he could still look half as good as me."

As the other two made fun of him, Kaoru glared at them. "Hey, are you two teaming up against me now?" He couldn't hide the amused grin that crept to his lips though. Despite his words, he knew his plan was a success. They would get along just fine... As the early dinner progressed, things got even better. Conversation was easy and the food was good. What wasn't to like?

 _ **[ — ]**_

Kaoru looked up when he heard the door to the bathroom close and saw his brother walking over to their shared bed. The younger boy still had his phone in his hands. "Sorry. I'm almost d—"

"What, that make-out session wasn't enough of a goodbye? Nah, take your time," Hikaru told him, waving one hand dismissively while the other suppressed a yawn. "I'm so beat, I think I can sleep even if the _sun_ were in our room."

The other snorted but made no retort as Hikaru snuggled into the covers without another word. Kaoru looked back at his coral-coloured phone. He pressed on the buttons to continue messaging. _"I really am glad we all got to spend this birthday together."_

 _"Me too. Did Hikaru? I'm scared to ask him myself,"_ came Miyuki's reply.

 _"I know he did, trust me. It's impossible to not like you!"_ He added a heart-shaped emoticon for good measure. _"Hey, Miyuki?"_

 _"Yeah?"_

Kaoru had the messaged typed out, _"I love you"_ but didn't send it immediately. He hadn't been able to say the words to her when she confessed to him and she had never pressured for him to say it. So was this too sudden? But he was sure now...

 _BEEP._

Before he realized it, the older Hitachiin had reached over his shoulder and pressed the send button _for_ him.

"Hikaru!"

The older twin finished chuckling and smirked. "What? We both know it's true, Kao. And you're not the only one who can give the other a little push."

"But—" His phone buzzed, stealing his attention immediately.

 _"I love you too."_

Kaoru felt his lips stretch into a smile but next to him, his brother snorted. "As if you didn't know already." Just like that, Hikaru pulled their blanket over himself again with his back turned to the other. Maybe this wasn't as bad as he thought, after all. He heard the sound of Kaoru putting his phone down on the bedside table and the ruffling as he crawled under the blanket as well.

Then he heard his voice. "Happy birthday to us, Hikaru. Love you."

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too, Kao." The older boy turned over in his spot so he faced Kaoru who already had his eyes closed—and that ridiculous smile on his face. "Happy birthday to us."


	22. important announcement!

**I** **MPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:**

Hi so FF got blocked in my country and that's why I haven't been posting :(

Anyway, I started publishing in AO3 so feel free to find me there if you'd like. I figured out how to work a proxy ro make this announcement and collect what stories I've published here to move them to AO3.

I actually had plans for more short stories like the "Happy Birthday" special but I've been away for so long that my drafts have disappeared. Nonetheless, I'll be revising _Taking Chances_ as I republish it on AO3, as well as my other stories. I hope you will support me there too!

Thank you for reading _Taking Chances_ and for your attention! This has been a PSA~


	23. update!

ugh I'm so dumb I forgot to give a way for anyone to find me on AO3! My username there is _**iceiceiceiceice**_ and you may already find my new story _Every Tomorrow With You_ there.

I guess I should tell you guys the plan too uhm... so I'll be posting my stories one by one ( **Taking Chances** first, **Then and Now** second and **Who We Are** third) and releasing each chapter every two days or on a weekly basis of whatever. Basically, it'll be completed gradually as I revise the story.

Thank you to some of you who have messaged me (which reminded me to tell you my new username lmao) and showed your support! Your kind words mean a lot to me.


End file.
